


The Hogsmeade Camera Club

by Dazzlious



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-01-26
Packaged: 2018-09-20 03:10:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9472862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dazzlious/pseuds/Dazzlious
Summary: The Hogsmeade Camera Club is looking for a new model . . . and Hermione Granger is desperately in need of some money.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from JK Rowling’s fantastic books or films, I’m just borrowing and playing with them for a little while and get no monetary reward for doing so.
> 
> A/N: This story is set five years after the Battle of Hogwarts. As always thank you to my lovely beta, Mamacita, and thank you to you for reading.  Dx

 

Hermione picked up the envelopes that lay on the mat, flicking through them curiously as she used her foot to kick the front door shut. She left most of them on the table, knowing they were bills, but there was one envelope she didn’t recognise. She turned it over and looked at her name and address written in perfect copperplate script but didn’t recognise the handwriting at all. She kicked off her high-heeled shoes, relieved to lose them, and wriggled her toes for a few seconds, putting the mysterious envelope with the other post on the small table to her left while she removed her cloak and hung it up on the coat hook by the door. She picked up the envelope again and began to scan it once more as she made her way through the lounge towards her bedroom, turning it over and over in hopes that she might spot some sign of who had sent it. She had always been wary of unexpected post ever since Rita Skeeter’s smear campaign against her in the _Daily Prophet_ had caused her to receive an alarming number of scary and even downright dangerous letters during the Triwizard Tournament in her fourth year at Hogwarts; she knew the most innocuous-looking of envelopes could contain the worst of curses. She dropped it on the bed, then opened her handbag and rummaged around in the depths for a moment to find her wand.    

‘ _Revelio,_ ’ she said as she pointed it at the envelope.

The envelope glowed blue for a moment but nothing else happened. Hermione prodded it with the wand, flicking it over just to be on the safe side, but apparently the envelope was just an envelope and contained nothing out of the ordinary.

Hermione left it on the bed and began to undress, making her way into the small bathroom where she turned on the shower as she finished removing her clothes. She folded them neatly and put them on top of the toilet, then stepped into the shower. She enjoyed the feel of the hot water cascading over her, slowly washing away the dirt and grime along with the stresses and tensions of the long day at work.

Hermione enjoyed her job at the Ministry of Magic, working in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, but sometimes it was difficult work trying to change the ingrained ideas of wizards who had subjugated species like house-elves and centaurs for centuries, and today had been one of those extremely trying days.

She had attended a meeting which had gone quite badly, for Hermione’s section at least, and she had left work still feeling angry at not having managed to achieve the goal she had set herself for the day. A horrible slow journey home in torrential rain had done nothing to make her feel any happier, and the huge pile of bills waiting on her doormat had been the absolute capper. She turned her mind away from work and the bills and just enjoyed the hot water as it soothed and cleansed, her mind becoming quieter until she felt ready to leave the shower.

Stepping out, she grabbed a small blue towel and quickly wrapped it around her hair before it could do anything mad; then she wrapped a larger matching towel around her and worked rapidly to rub her skin dry, adding moisturising oil before pulling her white towelling dressing gown from the back of the door. She looked at herself critically in the mirror then opened it to reveal a cabinet behind, and after a few seconds of rooting around inside she found her tweezers. Taking advantage of the steam still filling the bathroom, Hermione attacked her eyebrows with gusto, working to make them slightly less bushy.

Eventually satisfied, she returned the tweezers to the cupboard and retrieved her moisturiser, spending several minutes making sure it was properly applied. She knew a lot of women her age didn’t really bother with moisturising but it came as second nature to her, and she was sure her skin would thank her for it when she was older.

With a final look in the mirror, Hermione turned and headed back to the bedroom, taking the pile of clothes with her. She placed the clothes in the wash basket and looked at the envelope on the bed once more. She had been trying to work out what it could be but she couldn’t think of anything. For a moment, panic that it would be something bad made her consider throwing it away or destroying it without reading the contents but instead she grabbed it and went back to the lounge where she picked up the other envelopes from where she had left them and put them all on the coffee table, then went to the kitchen to make herself some supper.

A few minutes later she was back in the lounge with a small plate containing some cheese and cream crackers and a large ice-cold glass of Pinot Grigio, and the plate and wineglass joined the envelopes on the coffee table. She sat down on the sofa and pulled her legs up under her, then began to open the envelopes. She started with the ones she recognised and worked her way through the growing and quite worrying pile of bills until she was left with just the mystery envelope.      

_For god’s sake, stop being such a wuss and just open the bloody thing,_ a little voice in her mind told her chidingly.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up the envelope and slid her finger under the flap to open it, tentatively pulling out the folded piece of parchment. She took another sip of her wine before unfolding the letter and found herself looking at a page written in the same beautiful copperplate script that was on the envelope. She read through it, her astonishment growing as she took in the words.

 

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_I take the utmost pleasure in offering you a unique and most desirable opportunity to participate as a model for the Hogsmeade Camera Club._

_As I am sure you are aware, the Club has a long and distinguished history and for this reason has always attracted a wide range of models from all walks of life. We are always looking to provide an interesting and stimulating experience for both members and models and we try to create an artistic environment that is both relaxing and pleasurable for all involved. It goes without saying that the remuneration package is generous, and for those who have the right disposition there are many ‘perks’._

_If you are interested in discovering the full range of benefits this opportunity affords, please contact me by owl at the address below. I will be delighted to schedule an appointment to discuss the requirements and expectations of the Club and give a greater insight into the rewards we are willing to bestow upon a suitable candidate._

_Yours most sincerely,_

_Archibald Fenwick, Grand Sorc.  
Chairman, Hogsmeade Camera Club    _

 

Hermione had never heard of the Hogsmeade Camera Club nor had she heard of Archibald Fenwick, and she wasn’t certain what to make of being asked to become one of their models. Where the hell had they got her name from? She took another sip of her wine as she continued to stare at the parchment, then she discarded the letter. Beautifully written it may well be, but it was obviously either a joke or some kind of scam and it wasn’t something she was going to involve herself in.

Mind you, they had offered a ‘generous remuneration package,’ as they called it, and she could definitely do with that at the moment. Her problem was that her bills were building up, as evidenced by the huge pile on the coffee table before her and the truth was that however interesting her job at the Ministry was it just didn’t pay enough to cover them all. The rent on this flat alone was almost enough to cripple her and it wasn’t even a very nice flat in a good part of wizarding London, although it was at least in a safe area.

Hermione had been considering for some time getting a part-time job to help cover the bills, although she had never got any further than considering it; doing some dodgy modelling for some two-bit amateur camera club certainly wasn’t something she was willing to do or even think about so there was no point in keeping the letter.

She retrieved the letter, folded it and returned it to the envelope; then without even considering it further she ripped the whole thing into small pieces. When she returned her plate and now-empty wineglass to the kitchen before going to bed, she dropped the little pile of torn parchment into the bin. The one thing the letter and pile of bills had reminded her of, though, was that she really did need to do something about finding another job before she ended up bankrupt. Feeling thoroughly fed up and depressed at what an awful day she’d had, Hermione went to bed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘You must understand that as a professional club we take photographs of all sorts of subjects, from still life and landscapes right through to all types of models — be they wondrous human or majestic beast. For the true artist, anything can be a challenge to capture,’ Archibald Fenwick said. Hermione thought he sounded a little pompous.

She had found herself in an office far more spacious and well-appointed than she had expected, and Mr Fenwick seemed like a pleasant enough fellow. He reminded her a little of her old headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, with his long, flowing grey hair and beard and his sparkling eyes, although Fenwick’s were green, not blue, and he was wearing a navy blue robe rather than the purple the headmaster had so favoured.

‘So what sort of modelling would you expect me to do?’ Hermione enquired, cutting straight to the chase.

She had a feeling she knew but she wanted to be sure before she turned them down, and there was no point in prolonging the agony. She already felt uncomfortable about being there as it was. She had received a second letter a fortnight after the first, and then a third letter three weeks after that, and with her financial situation growing ever more troublesome — to the stage where it was beginning to give her sleepless nights — Hermione had finally contacted Archibald Fenwick.

When the latest letter had arrived on her doormat she was tempted to tear it up as she had done with the other two, still not interested in the offer. But realising she had to face hard facts, and that she was probably not cut out to be a waitress or a barmaid, she had conducted some research into the Hogsmeade Camera Club and discovered that rather than being a scam or some little local tin-pot society created by a group of middle-aged perverts to get their jollies, as she had thought, it was in fact, as the letter had stated, an extremely old and well-respected photographic club with an illustrious history.

Membership seemed to be varied and quite substantial, including over the years some quite famous wizards, and from what she had read the club had solid financial stability and had no trouble paying its models, nor had any complaints ever been made against it. Hermione had discovered that many people at work knew about the club; even Ron had heard of it, although as it was to do with a subject he had no interest in he really only knew the name and nothing much else about it.

Then she discovered that a few people she knew were actually members — one of whom, Dean Thomas, was an old Gryffindor school friend and fellow Ministry employee. He was enthusiastic and complimentary about the club and the way it treated its models. So, eventually, although still with slight misgivings and no small amount of curiosity as to how they had got hold of her name, Hermione sent an owl to the Chairman asking for an appointment to discuss terms. 

‘We are obviously extremely keen to ensure that our models are happy with what they’re doing,’ Mr Fenwick said, attempting to reassure her. ‘The session would be ruined for everyone if the models weren’t completely relaxed and enjoying it.’

‘I understand that, but what does that mean exactly?’ Hermione replied, trying to keep her patience under control as the man dithered around the subject. She wished he would he would just admit that they were looking to take dirty photos of her and then she could say no and go home, safe in the knowledge that she had attempted to get a job but it wasn’t suitable.

Mr Fenwick shrugged. ‘It means exactly what you want it to mean, Miss Granger. You can do as little or as much as you feel comfortable with. Obviously, the amount you receive in remuneration is dependent on what you do. The more you participate in the session, the greater the rewards.’

Trying to keep the frustration from her voice, Hermione said, ‘So what sort of pictures are you looking to take — fashion shots . . . portraits . . . glamour photos?’

Mr Fenwick nodded, still smiling. ‘Yes, all of those and more. As I said, we cater for all types and try to allow our members to have fun and the models the freedom to express themselves in the way best suited to them.’

‘So I can keep my clothes on, then?’ Hermione asked bluntly.

Mr Fenwick looked at Hermione as if assessing her for a moment before replying. ‘Well, of course, Miss Granger, you are certainly welcome to keep all your clothes on although to be honest the remuneration would be considerably lower — except in certain special situations — as the appeal is somewhat limited. Generally, we find that most of our models are happy to be a little more flexible; perhaps lingerie — something a little more provocative but without being overly sexual. The process of getting there can be quite enjoyable and interesting, too.’

Hermione considered this for a moment. Was she willing to undress for a bunch of perverts with cameras, for money? It would depend on how much money and who the photographers were, she supposed. After all, with the right underwear she wouldn’t necessarily be showing off all that much. But of course, there had to be assurances that she wouldn’t be coerced into doing something she didn’t want to do, and that none of them would try to touch her. 

‘So how much would I receive if I were willing to go down to my underwear?’ she asked nonchalantly.

Mr Fenwick didn’t say anything but he wrote a figure on a piece of paper and slid it across the table to her. Hermione looked at it in shock. Surely that couldn’t be right. It was a massive amount of money.

‘And how many times would I have to sit for that?’ she asked quietly.

‘That’s for one session,’ Mr Fenwick told her blandly. ‘Obviously, if you were willing to go further, the money would increase quite considerably. As I said before, Miss Granger, we are an _exclusive_ club. Many of our members have access to vast amounts of wealth and are extremely happy to provide generous recompense to our models for their time.’

Hermione was still in shock at the amount of money on offer for underwear modelling. It would be more than enough to pay off all her bills in one go. All right, so admittedly it would probably be a little embarrassing at first, but once she got used to it she might not even notice, especially if they were all being as professional about it as Mr Fenwick indicated.

‘We quite often find that once our models get going they very much get into the spirit of the shoot,’ Mr Fenwick continued. ‘Quite often those who think that lingerie is their limit find themselves enjoying topless modelling, or maybe even beyond. You would be amazed at the number of models who, freed from the shackles of propriety, suddenly have the desire to pose naked.’

‘I don’t think that’s likely to be me,’ Hermione said honestly, her voice a little stiff.

‘You may be surprised,’ Mr Fenwick said, that glint back in his eye. ‘The sessions can become extremely erotic when everyone is enjoying themselves.’

‘No one’s allowed to touch me, though, are they?’ Hermione asked worriedly.

‘Oh, gosh no. There is a set distance between the model and the photographers, which I’m sure you’ll find more than sufficient. It is not allowed to be breached at _any_ time during the shoot unless you decide you wish to allow close-ups, for an extra fee of course, then you are free to arrange that with individual photographers at your leisure. But everything is at the discretion of the model; there is absolutely no pressure to do anything.’

Hermione thought about this. She wondered what the set distance actually was and how far away from her the photographers would have to be for her to feel safe.

‘Of course, once you try it you may turn out to be one of those models who want to go even further,’ Mr Fenwick added when Hermione didn’t respond.

Hermione frowned. What on earth was going further than being completely naked?

‘Some of our members appreciate a model who is . . .  erm . . . shall we say, willing to explore their body on camera. They are more than happy to pay a premium for such an experience,’ he continued, his voice quieter now.

‘You mean masturbate for the camera,’ Hermione said, sounding shocked.

‘You would be surprised at just how many people find modelling for us arousing, Miss Granger — both men and women — and, of course, the rewards are extremely handsome.’

Although she wasn’t sure she wanted to know, Hermione just had to ask. ‘So exactly how far could one go . . . if one wanted?’

Mr Fenwick considered the question seriously for a few seconds. ‘Well, I suppose the furthest our models _have_ gone within a public session so far is an ejaculation circle,’ he mused. ‘Although I suppose if you were to make a private arrangement to sit for a photographer you could do whatever you wanted. After all, plenty of people like to film themselves having sex, don’t they?’

‘Ejaculation circle,’ Hermione repeated dully. ‘What does that mean?’

Mr Fenwick looked solemn. He was obviously back in ‘serious-art’ mode even though what he was talking about quite clearly had nothing to do with art, as far as Hermione was concerned anyway.

‘The model, usually naked, is surrounded by the photographers, who proceed to ejaculate all over them. The resulting “art” is then photographed.’

Hermione blinked, then looked at Mr Fenwick. Sounding disgusted, she asked, ‘And people really do that sort of thing . . . and are happy to let it happen to them?’

‘Oh yes, Miss Granger. There are plenty of men and women out there who are more than happy to participate in such activities — for a price.’

‘Whatever that price is, it could never be enough,’ Hermione said adamantly.

‘Well, everyone has their own limits and we’re happy to cater to all of them,’ Mr Fenwick said soothingly. ‘As I told you previously, none of our photographers will make you go further than you feel comfortable with. If you wish to stay fully dressed throughout the whole shoot that will be perfectly acceptable. Of course, they may request you to do something, but a refusal is always accepted as being absolute without any argument, so have no worries on that score. All our members are aware that a desire to see a model in a certain way does not guarantee that this will happen. All choices are made by the model alone.’

‘So are the photographers men and women?’ Hermione enquired.

‘Ah, well, for our shoots with female models we only allow men to participate,’ Mr Fenwick admitted.

‘Why’s that, then?’ Hermione asked, feeling uncomfortable at this idea. Then an unsettling thought occurred to her and she added a little more tartly, ‘Do you actually have any female members or is it all just middle-aged and old men looking to get their rocks off with young naked women?’

Mr Fenwick looked affronted at the accusation. His voice was distinctly cooler when he spoke this time. ‘We have both male and female members of all ages from seventeen to one hundred and seven, Miss Granger, and as I said previously, we have many different types of models — yet again, of both sexes. We do not allow women to attend the shoots with female models for one simple reason which is that the models, who are all amateurs much like yourself, tend to feel uncomfortable with other women there. We have found that it is hard for them to relax, and some of the more sensitive ones feel as if they’re being judged. This isn’t the case, of course, as the photographers are there purely to take the best photographs they can and increase their experience in creating great art. But because we want our models to enjoy the experience as much as the photographers do, and because if the models feel unsettled their output is not of the quality one would expect for the money that is laid out, we decided to take the step of making the shoots male-only.’

‘But what if I wanted other women there? What if I felt more comfortable not being the only woman in the room?’ Hermione asked. 

‘Then you would be disappointed, Miss Granger. The rule is a long-standing one and cannot be broken for anyone.’

‘So does that mean that when you have male models you only allow women photographers in?’ Hermione asked, a touch belligerently.

‘No, of course not. It’s extremely rare that a man feels self-conscious about what he’s doing just because other men are present, and the male torso is equally good to photograph as a woman’s. As I have tried to explain before this is an artistic endeavour, Miss Granger, not a sexual one . . . although . . . we mustn't forget that there are some wizards who like other wizards, and for them there may be a more sexual element to it.’

‘But that’s not fair,’ Hermione retorted with a frown.

‘What isn’t, Miss Granger?’ Mr Fenwick asked, sounding as if he was interested in knowing what she thought.

‘You allow men to take photographs of other men because they’re gay. What about witches who like other witches? They do exist, you know, they’re not just a myth. How can it be fair to ban them from photographing women, when that’s their interest?’

‘Whilst you have a point, none of our current female members are of that persuasion as far as I am aware, therefore the argument has no validity,’ Mr Fenwick said, clearly wanting to end this line of questioning.

‘And if one were to join?’ Hermione asked, ignoring his tone.

‘Then we would need to consider carefully what we could do in that circumstance. I expect we would end up arranging something separately after making the potential model quite clear about the type of shoot it was. Obviously, for us the most important thing would be to ensure that the model was happy with the arrangement.’

Hermione looked at him for a moment, then enquired, ‘So if I agree to do this, what say do I have in the clothes I wear?’

Mr Fenwick smiled. ‘We do produce a small booklet that gives an idea of the sort of clothes and accessories that are generally considered desirable for photographing by our members and that you might wish to consider when putting together an outfit for the shoot — it gives you an idea of the type of fabrics and so on, and also explains some of the “specialist” scenarios you might be invited to participate in once you become a more established model for the club.’

He opened a drawer to his left and pulled out a small, thin booklet, passing it across the table to Hermione. It had the Hogsmeade Camera Club logo on the front and a rather old-fashioned photo of a witch and wizard dressed in what Hermione considered traditional robes.

‘Please take that with you and study it at your leisure. You will see that what you should wear depends on the type of shoot, and there is considerable scope so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding something suitable in your current wardrobe.’

‘And what about underwear?’ Hermione asked as she picked up the booklet and put it into her handbag without looking at it. ‘Do I get to choose that, too, or will I be forced to wear something cheap, tacky and nasty-looking?’

‘You are perfectly at liberty to wear whatever underwear you wish, Miss Granger. As I’ve said many times now, the whole idea is for the model to be relaxed and at ease with the situation, so there is no point in getting you to wear something you would feel uncomfortable in.’ Mr Fenwick was still being polite but Hermione caught the undertone that gave away the fact that he was getting fed up with her questions. But she hadn’t finished yet.

‘So if I decided to do this, I could wear my own underwear . . . which I have to tell you now would not include anything tacky like crotchless knickers or peephole bras . . . or anything see-through.’

Mr Fenwick gave a small laugh. ‘Whilst undoubtedly I’m sure that some people would find that sort of thing attractive and worth photographing, I think you will find that most of _our_ members have considerably more taste than that and would be more interested in shooting you with slightly less obvious lingerie.’

‘But it won’t show anything. I mean, I won’t be flashing anything off to anyone,’ Hermione said.

Mr Fenwick shrugged. ‘Quite often seeing less is more . . . interesting. As I told you, the price quoted is purely for a session including lingerie; what you choose to wear for that session is entirely up to you. If you were to consider revealing a little more, an increase in remuneration would then apply. Would you like me to give you an idea of the amount you could expect to receive?’

Hermione shook her head. ‘No. I’m sorry, but I know I would never be comfortable going any further. To be honest, I’m still not even entirely sure I could go down to my underwear.’

‘There’s no pressure for you to perform in any way other than that in which you feel comfortable, Miss Granger,’ Mr Fenwick told her, his voice soothing again. ‘If you decide to agree to a session with us, a contract will be sent to you detailing the different levels of remuneration available, obviously dependent on the various levels of performance. When you come to shoot with us, you do whatever feels comfortable for you and no more. Payment is made at the end of the session, either by immediate transfer to your account in Gringotts or in cash if you prefer.’

‘I think I’m going to have to consider it further,’ Hermione said quietly. ‘To be honest, Mr Fenwick, this isn’t something I’ve ever done or ever thought about doing before and I’m not sure I feel comfortable taking part, however illustrious or upstanding your club may be.’

‘But it is definitely worth considering, Miss Granger. The experience can be quite liberating, and I guarantee that without fail it is always extremely interesting.’

‘Can I ask how you got hold of my name?’ Hermione asked. This was the one thing that still bothered her about the entire affair.

Mr Fenwick gave a broad smile and his eyes twinkled. ‘You were recommended, my dear.’

Hermione looked shocked. ‘Who recommended me?’

‘All our models are chosen from recommendations made by our members. We understand that sometimes it can be a little difficult to relax in a room full of strangers, especially when they’re all taking your photograph — this can be a little overwhelming, especially the first time — so knowing that people you know will be involved in the session usually makes it a little easier for our first-timers.’

‘So can you tell me who recommended me?’ Hermione asked, wondering who would have put her name forward. She was sure it wasn’t Dean as she was fairly certain he would have mentioned it to her when she had asked him about the club, but she didn’t realise that she knew anyone else who was a member.

‘I’m afraid all suggestions are made anonymously,’ Mr Fenwick said. ‘But I can tell you that we received several requests for you to be approached. You appear to be a popular choice amongst our members.’

‘All from one person?’ Hermione asked worriedly, suddenly wondering if she had a potential stalker on her hands or whether this was some kind of nasty albeit elaborate practical joke designed to embarrass and degrade her.

Mr Fenwick shook his head. ‘All members are allowed only one suggestion per season and this is strictly enforced. So multiple requests will have been received from different members.’

Hermione wasn’t sure whether she should be relieved or worried about this. It meant she obviously knew more people in the Hogsmeade Camera Club than she had realised, but it also meant there were apparently several people she knew who, although they had kept their interest quiet, wanted to take photographs of her and probably hoped she would agree to go naked, or in her underwear at the very least. 

‘Can I go away and think about it?’ she asked.

Mr Fenwick nodded. ‘Of course you may, Miss Granger. I have to admit that with the number of recommendations you have received we are extremely eager for you to join us for at least one session, but you need to be sure you are ready to do so. Take as much time as you need. Send me an owl when you decide you’re ready to have some fun.’

Hermione stood up. ‘Thank you for seeing me, Mr Fenwick. It’s been most informative, although I will admit a little shocking in places. I will seriously consider your offer, though, and I’ll let you know if I decide to accept.’

Mr Fenwick stood, too, and reached out his hand to shake Hermione’s. His grip was firm and not unpleasant.

‘It’s been a genuine pleasure to meet you, Miss Granger, and now that I have I can entirely understand our members’ desire to bring you onboard. I sincerely hope you will choose to honour the Hogsmeade Camera Club with your presence at a session in the near future.’

Hermione left the office, her head whirling with everything she had been told. She still wished she knew who had recommended her and she was still trying to get her head around the amount of money she was being offered to pose in her underwear. She thought about what she was currently wearing and chuckled. Somehow she didn’t think the Hogsmeade Camera Club would be overly impressed if they could see that. If she was going to do it she would need to get some new clothes. Then again, she would be able to afford to. With the amount they were going to pay her she could almost afford to buy a whole new wardrobe, and that was after paying the bills.

But was it right for her to accept money for allowing people to take photographs of her, especially in her underwear? She considered it as she made her way home, having stopped at Flourish and Blotts to buy a new book she knew she couldn’t afford but needed to buy anyway. At least she wasn’t having to do anything sexual, so it wasn’t like prostitution. It was more like being an escort.

_Which is one stage away from prostitution_ , a little voice in her mind told her.

But it wasn’t really like being an escort, either, Hermione decided after a little more thought. It was artistic and there was a productive outcome at the end of it: a set of pictures from each of the photographers taking part in the session. They weren’t just paying for her company, and it wasn’t as if she was going to be alone with any of them or they were going to touch her in any way.

Hermione gave a huge sigh. The money definitely attracted her, especially as she needed it so badly with her current financial circumstances. But would she regret it in the future if she earned the money this way? She couldn’t decide at the moment; it was all still too confusing and she was likely to make a bad decision. She would need to read through the booklet Mr Fenwick had provided and then ignore it for a while and reconsider later, once she’d had a chance to properly get her head around the idea.


	2. Chapter 2

 

Hermione swallowed nervously as she looked around her. The room was large and nicely decorated in pale blue and white. It was light and airy with a whole wall of large windows overlooking a massive, beautifully kept lawn with beds full of brightly-coloured shrubs and flowers. She had no idea where she was as she had been brought here via Side-along Apparition by Mr Fenwick, but now it was almost time to start the shoot she was beginning to lose her nerve.

At first she hadn’t recognised any of the photographers, all busy setting up their cameras and tripods and not taking any notice of her as she stood there wondering what she should do. She had gone to stare out of the window, desperately trying to calm herself down so she wouldn’t chicken out of what was about to happen and completely humiliate herself in front of a room full of strangers.

Once again Mr Fenwick had spent some time reassuring her, reminding Hermione that she was to relax and have fun and that she should only do what she felt comfortable doing, but Hermione knew she had to go further than that. Comfortable would be to stay fully dressed or maybe with some buttons somewhat provocatively undone, but it would take her several sessions to get the money for her bills if she chose to stay like that. It was hard enough doing this once, let alone having to come back again.

She had already known the huge amount of money that stripping to her underwear would bring, but she was completely amazed at the amounts quoted both for topless and full nudity. And the money kept going up exponentially. She almost died of shock when she saw the amount offered for a scenario similar to the ejaculation circle Mr Fenwick had mentioned at their meeting, which she assumed was included purely as an example of the sort of money she could earn if she had absolutely no morals. It was almost the amount she would earn at the Ministry for four months’ work, although as far as she was concerned no amount of money in the world would ever tempt her to do something like that.

Hermione wondered how they could afford to pay their models so well and then remembered Mr Fenwick’s comment about wealthy patrons. The Hogsmeade Camera Club must have lots of extremely wealthy members, although maybe there weren’t too many people who were willing to go quite that far. The costs for underwear and even nude shoots were reasonable in comparison to the more extreme ones.

She wasn’t sure how many men would take part in the shoot. So far she had seen about a dozen photographers, none of whom she knew, but there were far more cameras in the room than people. She wondered whether other shoots were going on in other rooms or if she was the only attraction, which might be the reason for so many photographers being interested in her. But since his pep talk Mr Fenwick had disappeared and she hadn’t yet quite plucked up the courage to talk to any of the other photographers, so she couldn’t ask the question.

Hermione was just getting to the stage where she was getting bored with waiting for something to happen when the first person she knew entered the room. Percy Weasley, looking as pompous as ever and talking to an equally pretentious-looking man with dark hair and a beard, didn’t notice her as he came through the door and she couldn’t help wondering for a moment whether the models’ names were released in advance or if she was going to be as much of a surprise to him as seeing him there was to her.

Plastering a confident smile on her face so he wouldn’t pick up on her anxiety, Hermione headed across the room to intersect with him.

‘Hullo, Percy,’ she said chirpily.

Percy looked at her almost in confusion for a moment, then said, ‘Hermione, hullo. What are you doing here? I didn’t know you were in the Camera Club.’

‘Oh, I’m not a member. I’m the model for this session,’ Hermione told him.

Percy looked a little uncomfortable at this revelation but he tried to take it in his stride. Hermione guessed that answered her question about whether her name had been given out in advance and pretty much confirmed that he wasn’t one of the members who had requested her.

‘Hermione, this is my colleague from work, Alastor Batworthy.’ He indicated the man with the beard. ‘Alastor, this is Hermione Granger, a friend of my younger brother Ron. Hermione is a fellow Ministry employee and apparently our model today.’

The man shook Hermione’s hand without much interest. ‘I’m pleased to meet you,’ he said.

Hermione noticed his voice sounded just as pompous as he looked. She wasn’t surprised that he got on so well with Percy.

‘And you, too, Alastor,’ Hermione replied politely. She turned back to Percy. ‘Do you know how many people come to these things?’

He shrugged. ‘It all depends on what people are doing on the day the shoots are held. I suppose there’s usually about twenty or so, although people don’t always stay all the way through. It depends on how the session goes.’ He looked at the cameras that were already set up. ‘It looks like there’s going to be a good turn-out today, though.  So what made you decide to become a model?’

Hermione had already decided that if anyone asked her this question she wasn’t going to admit that it was because she needed the money. That made her sound desperate and there was still that little nagging part of her mind that disapproved of what she was doing, which made her feel a bit guilty about it.

‘I knew a few people who were members of the club who mentioned about modelling and it seemed like an interesting experience, so after a chat with your Chairman I thought I’d give it a go,’ she said with a shrug.

Percy looked surprised again. ‘Well, I’m sure you’re sensible enough to make sure you don’t go too far, Hermione,’ he said priggishly. 

She laughed. ‘Oh, you’ve no need to worry about that, Percy. I have a very definite limit and I have absolutely no intention of going past it.’

Percy looked relieved at her comment but Hermione couldn’t help but wonder what his limit was. Would he be one of those people who would stay regardless of what was happening or would he leave if a shoot started getting more sexual than sensual? Hermione didn’t really know Percy well enough to judge but she hoped he would have the decency to leave rather than end up ejaculating on some depraved individual and calling it art. But someone who she was fairly certain would stay right until the bitter end, and would probably be doing everything he could to help the action along had just walked through the door.

Lucius Malfoy looked just as handsome as she remembered him and was immaculately dressed as always. Hermione realised that she wasn’t at all surprised that he was a member of the camera club and wondered whether his son Draco was also a member. From the rumours she had heard about Lucius Malfoy’s appetites she could quite easily imagine him organising something like the ejaculation circle although she didn’t believe he would actually take part; rather, he would be a voyeur who would gain enjoyment from watching the others in action. He certainly had the money to pay for it.  

For a moment her resolve to do the shoot wavered as she thought about the man with whom she’d had so many horrible encounters in the past watching her get undressed, but she managed to chase that thought away. He was one man out of a whole room full of them; she could focus on anyone else and forget that he was even there. Anyway, once he was behind his camera she probably wouldn’t even be able to see him properly. She just had to hope Draco didn’t suddenly appear as well otherwise that would make things a little trickier. She wasn’t at all sure she would be able to continue if her old school nemesis was there as well.

Over the space of the next fifteen minutes the room continued to fill and Hermione became ever more nervous. There were several people she recognised by face but not name from work, and even a few from school although only Dean, who had talked to her excitedly and encouragingly about her impending shoot and Roger Davies, who she vaguely remembered as being an ex-boyfriend of Cho Chang’s, actually spoke to her.

And then it was time for the shoot to start and Mr Fenwick reappeared to explain to her what was going to happen.

‘Are you all right, Miss Granger?’ he asked, looking at her keenly.

Hermione nodded. Her stomach was roiling with apprehension and she wasn’t sure she could speak without being sick.

‘Feeling a little nervous?’ he asked, giving her a sympathetic smile.

Hermione nodded again.

‘Whilst a little nervousness is only to be expected, there’s absolutely no need for you to be worried, Miss Granger. As I told you before, everything is done at your pace and you need only do what you feel comfortable doing.’ He pointed to a dark red velvet chaise longue in the centre of the circle of cameras that was covered with several plump cream satin cushions and a matching throw. ‘That will be your platform for today’s shoot. You can sit, stand, lie and use the cushions and throw as the mood takes you. As you can see, there is a seven-foot gap between you and the nearest cameras. Once the shoot begins no one will breach that gap unless you specifically request it, so you have no need to worry about anyone touching you.

‘Some of the photographers may request you to do things for them — for instance, holding a cushion or laying down, or something of that ilk. You do not have to do anything they ask unless you want to. A negative response from you will immediately stop that sort of request being asked again, unless you indicate that you are happy for the question to be re-asked later in the shoot. It is likely you will be asked to remove your clothes at some point, and if you go down to your underwear certain photographers may request that you go topless or even nude; but if you say no, once again all similar questions will cease immediately.

‘The shoot will usually take place in two or three segments. The first will take about twenty minutes and gives you the chance to get settled in and properly relaxed and to learn what a photographic shoot entails. There will then be a short break during which refreshments are served, followed by another session lasting a similar amount of time or possibly a little longer than the first. If you decide you are happy to continue, a final session of approximately thirty minutes, depending on how things are going, will be held. If, however, you feel you would rather not continue for the third session you will be free to leave and the final session will be a still-life study, which we have prepared in advance as a stand-by. I do have to inform you, Miss Granger, that you will need to complete at least two of the three sessions in order to qualify for remuneration.’

He gave a small smile as he added, ‘I know you have already indicated that you have no intention of going any further than lingerie photography, but should you change your mind, any additional . . . erm . . . sessions will occur once the main shoot is over. This gives any photographers who do not wish to continue a chance to pack up their equipment and leave. Hopefully, I’ve covered everything, but do you have any questions before we start?’

‘So if I’m going to go down to my underwear, which session would this happen in?’ Hermione asked.

Mr Fenwick smiled. ‘Once again, Miss Granger, a reminder that everything is done at your pace. There are no set rules, nor is anything expected of you except for you to sit there and look beautiful — which isn’t going to be a difficult task for you to achieve.’ He gazed around the room, looking satisfied at the number of people who were now with their cameras. He looked at his watch. ‘Now, if you’re ready, it’s time to prepare yourself and head towards the centre of the circle, where I shall introduce you, and we’ll get going.’

Taking a deep breath, Hermione walked over to the chaise longue, moving the cushions so she could sit down. She smoothed down her skirt, noticing as she did so that her hands were shaking. Once she was as comfortably settled as she was ever going to be she looked around at the sea of cameras. It was a little overwhelming to know that so many men were going to be taking photographs of her, but at the same time there were so many that it was far more impersonal than she had expected it to be. She spotted Lucius who was busy adjusting the settings on his camera, noting his position so she could keep her attention focussed elsewhere, then closed her eyes, trying to calm herself while she waited for Mr Fenwick to introduce her.

She opened her eyes as the room quieted. Mr Fenwick now stood next to her holding his hand up for silence, and as she gazed out at the assembled photographers she realised there was someone else there she knew, someone she hadn’t seen for five years, who had only just arrived at the last minute. Her stomach roiled again and she closed her eyes once more. She really didn’t want to do this now but it was too late to stop it.

 _Once it’s done the bills will be paid and you don’t need to do anything like this ever again,_ she told herself silently. _But now you have to get on and do it . . . and if you’re going to do it you might as well try to enjoy it._    

Hermione knew, if she was honest, that it was the not knowing exactly what was going to happen that was making her nervous. Usually her life was completely planned out to the smallest detail, something she had always done even back as far as her school days, when she had created intricate revision plans months before the exams were due.

All she knew was that she had to sit for two or three sessions and she could do what she wanted, which was of no use whatsoever. At least if she had known that she was supposed to get undressed during the second sitting, or that they were looking for something specific from her, it would have given her something to work towards; but currently the only thing she had any proper control over was her clothes. She had spent every minute since she had agreed to do this working out what she was going to wear and how easy or otherwise it was to take off and then put back on again once the session was over.

‘Good afternoon, gentlemen. Welcome to the latest session of the Hogsmeade Camera Club. As you can see we have a new model today, a beautiful young woman called Hermione Granger.’ Mr Fenwick indicated Hermione and smiled at her as he spoke, his voice warm and soft. ‘It’s her first time modelling, so naturally she’s a little nervous. I know you will all do what you can to make her feel at ease, so please be gentle with her and remember, be polite. Now, I’ll stop talking and get back behind the camera so you can look at the pretty girl rather than the grizzled old man.’

There was a small outbreak of laughter at Mr Fenwick’s last comment, which amazingly seemed to break the tension Hermione was feeling. She stood up and smiled her most dazzling smile.

‘Miss Granger, gentlemen,’ Mr Fenwick said pointing at her once more, then he walked out of the circle, leaving Hermione alone.

Almost immediately the sound of camera shutters moving filled the room and Hermione continued to stand there, waiting for a few seconds before turning a little until eventually she had walked full circle, allowing all the members to photograph her full length and face on. She moved to the chaise longue and picked up a cushion, which prompted a number of requests for her to hold it in a certain way.

As the first part of the shoot continued Hermione realised this was easy and she was actually beginning to enjoy it. The men were all respectful and none of them asked her to do anything that she had to think twice about. Before she knew it the first twenty minutes were up and the men began to drift away from their cameras towards a table that had been set up at the far end of the room and now contained coffee and teapots and plates of biscuits.

Mr Fenwick stood just outside the circle.

‘May I join you, Miss Granger?’ he asked politely, ‘and can I get you a cup of tea or coffee?’

Hermione nodded. ‘A cup of tea would be lovely, please. Milk and one sugar.’

A few minutes later Mr Fenwick returned bearing a teacup and saucer, which also had a couple of biscuits perched on it. He passed it to Hermione.

‘So how do you think I did?’ she asked worriedly. ‘Was I really terrible?’

Mr Fenwick laughed pleasantly, his sparkling eyes crinkling. ‘You were fine, Miss Granger. You acted no differently from the way most first-timers do — in fact, better than some. You take direction well and don’t get easily flustered, and although you were obviously nervous to begin with you seem to have relaxed into it and are hopefully enjoying the experience.’

‘It’s certainly interesting,’ Hermione admitted. ‘It’s honestly not really been anything like I expected, although obviously I haven’t actually taken any clothes off yet.’

‘I will admit there is a certain air of expectation amongst the group,’ Mr Fenwick said. ‘I think if you choose to favour us with a lingerie session it will be most gratefully received although I will remind you once again that you don’t have to do it if you don’t feel comfortable about it.’ He paused, watching as Hermione dunked one of the biscuits in her tea and took a bite. As she chewed on it he asked, ‘Do you think you will be doing all three sessions or do you wish to stop after the next one?’

Hermione licked her lips nervously before answering. ‘I’m hoping to do all three, but I have to admit that it will depend on how the next session goes. I intend to do underwear shots next, assuming I can actually pluck up the courage to take my clothes off, but it’s definitely not going to go any further, I can already guarantee that.’

‘Just as long as you’re happy to continue to sit for us and feel you’ve been treated well so far, then as Chairman of the club I’m happy,’ Mr Fenwick told her. ‘Have you finished with your tea?’

Hermione shook her head. She had only managed a couple of sips so far.

‘Another prop for you to use, then,’ Mr Fenwick said, sounding delighted, and he moved back outside the circle. He clapped his hands loudly and waited for the sound of conversation to stop. ‘Gentlemen, if you could return to your cameras now, please. Miss Granger is ready to continue.’

Hermione sat drinking her tea while she waited for the men to get into position, aware that some of the more eager ones were taking photographs of her while they waited. Once the room was ready she put down the cup and saucer and stood up. She took a deep breath, silently egging herself on, then slowly and seductively undid the first button on her blouse.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The second session was satisfactorily concluded and this time Hermione chose to leave the circle, enjoying the compliments that many of the photographers were passing her way as she moved towards the refreshment table. She realised Lucius was coming towards her, and knowing she wasn’t going to be able to get away from him she hurriedly wrapped the red satin robe Mr Fenwick had given her at the end of the session around her more tightly, eager for the blond man to not be gazing at her in the lewd way he had for the previous twenty-odd minutes.

He was the only one who had really made her feel uncomfortable, although she had felt a little embarrassed when she remembered that Severus Snape, her Potions Master from school, was there too. Her schoolgirl crush on him re-emerged with a vengeance as she surreptitiously gazed at him, noting the changes the five years since she had last seen him had made to his physique.

‘Miss Granger, I’m so glad we’ve finally managed to get you to our little club. It really has been improved by having you with us. I hope everything has been to your satisfaction so far?’

Hermione smiled politely. ‘It’s been quite interesting, actually,’ she admitted. Then, feeling that she should at least attempt to make conversation, she asked, ‘Is this where the club is usually held? It’s a beautiful place. The room is gorgeous and I was looking out of the window before we started. The garden looks absolutely magnificent with all those beautiful flowers. Does the club own the property, or—?’

‘You’re at Malfoy Manor,’ Lucius said. His voice was rich and smooth. ‘I’m glad you like it. I quite often let the Camera Club use a room or the garden as I have plenty of space, and it’s nice to shoot in different places rather than the same boring room all the time. This is one of my favourite rooms and is a good one for photography. The light quality is perfect for some really artistic shots and I am hopeful that between us the Camera Club will have captured some wonderful ones of you today.’ He looked at her intently for a moment, then smiled. ‘You really are quite exquisite, Miss Granger. Far better even than I had imagined you would be.’

Hermione felt herself blush at the compliment and under the intensity of his gaze.

‘Was it you who recommended me to the club?’ Hermione asked quietly.

She was fairly certain from the way he was talking and acting towards her that Lucius was one of the men who had put her name forward.

‘I admit that I did put your name forward, and an extremely good choice it was, too,’ Lucius said. Then he chuckled. ‘I believe Draco did as well. They’re away on a stag do this weekend so he and his friends are going to be most disappointed when they discover they missed the opportunity to shoot you. They’ll have to hope that you decide to give us all a treat and do another shoot in the future.’

So now Hermione knew two of the requesters and had confirmation that Draco was a member, as were some of his friends, who might well have been the other requesters if the Malfoys were so eager to get her there. She wanted to hope that Professor Snape had been one of them, too, but she didn’t really believe that to be the case. While she had harboured an almost completely secret and somewhat shameful crush on him for most of her later years at school, she knew the Potions Master hadn’t shared her feelings of desire.

Although she believed, or at least wanted to believe, that his mean and rude behaviour towards her was mainly because she was a friend of Harry’s, who Professor Snape had always despised because he hated Harry’s father, there was no doubt that he wasn’t her biggest fan — hence her unrequited desire; although as she had been one of his pupils at the time there was never going to be any chance of anything happening between them anyway. But that was five years ago; he was no longer her teacher.

‘I’m sorry, I missed what you were saying,’ Hermione admitted a little contritely as she realised she had been so busy thinking about Professor Snape that she had completely tuned out Lucius. From the way he was looking at her he had obviously asked her a question.

‘I was just asking about the possibility of arranging a private modelling session with you, Miss Granger. I have so many ideas that I would love to try out but that aren’t particularly suitable or practical for a group situation. Also, the chance to photograph you in other locations around Malfoy Manor would be extremely exciting. For instance, I have a rose garden that would be the perfect setting for a whole range of intimate and sensual photographs. There’s a marvellous stone bench in the middle of all those sweet-smelling flowers and you would look just wonderful laying naked on it,’ Lucius said. His voice had become softer and distinctly more seductive.

Hermione shook her head as she felt the return of the nervous butterflies in her stomach. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Malfoy, but I’m really not interested in doing any other modelling. I thought I would give this a try, purely out of interest and because it was in a safe, non-pressured environment, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable modelling in a solo situation nor am I interested in removing any more of my clothes.’

Lucius looked disappointed for a second but then his smile returned. ‘Please, call me Lucius. I’m sad to hear that you’re not interested, Miss Granger, because based on today’s shoot I would say you’re a natural and I am certain that between us we could create some wonderful photographs. I shall have to keep working on you to see if I can convince you to change your mind. I’m certain that eventually I’ll be able to find a way to make you more comfortable with the idea of sitting for me.’

‘I’m not going to change my mind, Lucius,’ Hermione told him adamantly. ‘I will never take all my clothes off to be photographed, so if that’s what you’re looking for you may as well give up now. Now, if you’ll excuse me I should be getting back as I think Mr Fenwick will be calling for the third session in a minute.’

‘I will keep trying to change your mind,’ Lucius promised as a parting shot. He was still smiling.

Hermione wandered back over to the chaise longue, pleased that there was at least one little area of the room where Lucius couldn’t follow her. She sat down on the seat and picked up a pillow, which she stared at as she thought about their discussion. What she had said to him about not wanting to model naked was true, but she had to admit that his description of the rose garden had evoked a somewhat erotic image in her mind and she was rather enjoying his flattery.

She knew that after his treatment at the hands of Voldemort, Lucius and his family had undergone a complete reassessment of everything they believed in otherwise he would never have even bothered to look in her direction, let alone ask her to model for him. But it was hard after all those years of hatred to turn that off and begin to trust. He was extremely handsome, though, and a little too seductive, and it was therefore important that she not be swayed by his honeyed words.

Hermione looked around the room, her eyes attempting to seek out the tall, dark-haired man who had joined the group at the last minute. She was disappointed but unsurprised to see that he had joined Lucius. She was amazed that Professor Snape was a photographer as she had always assumed his only interest was potion-making, but it was a pleasant surprise, made more so when she realised that she was still just as attracted to the teacher now as she had been when she was at school.

For a moment she imagined doing some intimate and sensual modelling for him — just the two of them alone somewhere with roses and garden benches — but then, probably because of the setting, Lucius pushed his way back into her mind so she erased that thought. It was unlikely that Professor Snape would be interested in her modelling for him anyway, and she _still_ had no interest in doing it naked in real life, but once she could think of a more suitable location it would give her something to fantasise about when she was laying alone in bed at night.

There was no sign of Mr Fenwick yet, which meant she probably had a few more minutes. Hermione was desperate to say something to Professor Snape, if for no other reason than that she wanted to look him over properly, so leaving the circle once more she made her way in his direction, trying not to make it obvious that she was targeting him. He was now talking to a short, bald man she had never seen before, so she waited until he had finished his conversation and then dived in before the professor had a chance to move away and talk to someone else, or worse still, leave.

‘I didn’t know you were keen on photography, sir,’ Hermione said.

Professor Snape looked a little out of place in the informal setting of the camera club as he was still wearing the black robes he wore at school, the only things she had ever seen him in. But his scowl wasn’t present and he looked relaxed, even happy, which made him look even more attractive to her. Hermione’s heart skipped a beat as he turned slightly so he was looking at her as he answered.

He looked amused as he drawled, ‘I don’t think you need to need to call me “sir”, Miss Granger. I’m no longer your teacher.’   

Hermione felt herself blushing. ‘I’m sorry, it’s force of habit,’ she explained. ‘So have you been interested in photography for long, Professor?’

Professor Snape nodded his head. ‘I got my first camera when I was eight. I managed to convince my parents to buy me a cheap one and it gave me the means to escape. Even in the dreadful town I lived in there was beauty of a sort, once you looked at it through a camera lens, and being close to the moors meant that I could practice to my heart’s content on landscapes and wildlife, although mainly it gave me an excuse to be out of the house as things weren’t particularly happy at home. Once I arrived at Hogwarts I discovered the Hogsmeade Camera Club, so I signed up as soon as I was able to and have been a member ever since, although it has only been in the last few years that I’ve been able to take the hobby up again seriously . . . now that I have more free time.’

‘It’s good to have a hobby,’ Hermione said. Professor Snape looked at her sharply, as if sensing ridicule, but she quickly added, ‘No, I mean it. I don’t have a hobby except for reading although I’m not sure that really counts. I’ve often thought I should take one up. I did think about knitting once, but photography would be much cooler.’

‘Knitting,’ Professor Snape sounded amused again. ‘I have to admit I don’t see you as a knitter, Miss Granger.’

‘Oh, I don’t know. I could knit everyone a range of jumpers, just like Mrs Weasley does every year.’ She grinned.

‘Don’t bother putting me on your list, will you?’ he said with a shudder.

Hermione looked at him with mock disappointment. ‘I was going to make you a special jumper, Professor — a nice big thick black one with a green Slytherin snake on it. You could wear it for Quidditch matches.’

Professor Snape looked horrified for a second, then gave a sharp bark of a laugh. ‘That sounds delightful. I can’t wait to see it.’

‘Well, you might have a bit of a wait,’ Hermione admitted. ‘I don’t actually know how to knit and I suspect it might take me a few years to learn enough to actually complete a jumper, but I might be able to manage a scarf eventually.’

Professor Snape gazed at her intently for a moment. ‘I think I’ll wait for the jumper. I already have a Slytherin scarf.’

‘So do you still engage in photography outside of the club or do you just come to the model sessions?’ Hermione asked, changing the subject back to photography.

Professor Snape shrugged. ‘Occasionally I get the urge to go out into nature and take a few photos, usually when I’m back home during the school holidays. I find it relaxing, and it makes a change from brewing potions. Plus it gives me a chance to stretch my legs and get a bit of fresh air. There’s a rather nice park I go to sometimes, one of the few good things about the town I live in. It’s beautiful there in every season so I can always find something to take a photograph of.’

Hermione smiled, her heart fluttering wildly as she plucked up all her courage and bravely said, ‘Well, if you ever need anyone to give your landscapes more depth or a focal point or something, I would be happy to come along and help you out.’

Professor Snape looked at her appraisingly for several seconds, his gaze going so deep Hermione thought she was probably blushing again.

‘Whilst I agree that you would enhance any landscape, Miss Granger, unfortunately I don’t have Lucius Malfoy’s resources and would therefore be unable to afford to pay for your time to assist me,’ he said softly.

Hermione looked disconcerted at the idea that Professor Snape thought she wanted paying to be with him. Once again the little voice in her brain started whispering about prostitution and she tried to clamp down on it.

‘Look, I’m sorry, Miss Granger. I didn’t mean to upset you,’ Professor Snape said quickly, realising that he obviously had although he wasn’t quite sure why.

At almost the same time Hermione blurted out, ‘I don’t need you to pay me. I’m not a whore.’ Professor Snape looked at her in surprise at her outburst. More quietly she added, ‘I’m sorry. What I meant was that I wasn’t asking you to hire me as a model. I was just offering to come with you . . . if you wanted my company or generally wanted someone to take a photograph of.’

‘I’m sorry. I thought you were touting for work,’ Professor Snape explained, his voice still gentle. ‘It’s a bit of a hazard at the club, I’m afraid. Most of the models are looking to do work on the side and they all expect to get paid a significant amount due to the over-inflated amount of money the club pays them. I thought I heard Lucius talking to you about doing some modelling for him earlier.’

‘He did suggest it, but I’m not interested in doing modelling for him. To be honest, I only did this because I really needed the money urgently. I didn’t intend to do it again although I’ll admit that it hasn’t been anywhere near as bad as I expected, actually. I’m sorry, I should never have mentioned it.’

‘No, _I’m_ sorry. I’m afraid my cynical nature takes over far too easily, Miss Granger. Obviously I would be happy for you to accompany me and make my photographs a hundred times more interesting.’

Hermione’s heart started beating faster at his words. Did this mean he _would_ ask her to go with him?

‘You could buy me an ice cream if it would make you feel better,’ Hermione suggested, trying to keep it light. She smiled at him and he smiled back, making her heart skip a beat again. God, he really was actually quite nice looking when he smiled.

‘I think I could stretch to an ice cream,’ Professor Snape said musingly. He was smiling again and it made Hermione’s stomach do little somersaults of joy and her heart was racing as if she was running a sprint. ‘Do you have a particular time when you’re free?’

Hermione was tempted to say any time, but not wanting to be too obvious or seem too desperate to get a date she just shrugged. ‘It’s probably easier if I fit in with you, Professor. I don’t have huge expanses of time when I’m stuck at school.’

Professor Snape nodded. ‘I’ll work out when I have some free time and I’ll send you an owl, then you can let me know if you’re still interested.’

Hermione almost retorted that she definitely would be but she just about managed to keep quiet. She really hoped he wasn’t just being polite to her but all she could do was wait and see.

‘That would be great,’ she said sincerely. She looked around, spotting that most of the photographers were back at their cameras again. ‘Looks like I’m on again. I just I hope I don’t bore people because I’m not taking any more clothes off.’

‘You are extremely beautiful, Miss Granger, and I don’t believe any of the men here today would get bored with you regardless of what you choose to do with your clothing,’ Professor Snape told her, sounding sincere.

‘Thank you,’ Hermione said quietly, hiding the excitement that was fizzing up inside her. Professor Snape had just said she was beautiful and it made her feel fantastic.

No longer worried about whether anyone would be unhappy that she wasn’t going to remove her underwear, she walked back to the area that had been set out for her and plumped the cushions on the loveseat.

It wasn’t long before the third and final session got underway. Although Hermione had not removed any more of her clothes — refusing a request by Lucius to take off her bra — she pulled the straps down and moved into several rather revealing poses, safe in the knowledge that her well-chosen underwear wasn’t going to let her down, even if she was revealing a little more cleavage than she had originally intended.

And then the session was finished and Hermione realised she was buzzing. She had enjoyed being photographed much more than she had expected to, and she liked the fact that the photographers had all been so complimentary about her and so polite about everything, too. Mr Fenwick had, for the fourth time, joined her in the circle to thank her for modelling for them, impressing upon her that she was welcome back at any time, which was greeted by a round of applause and several wolf whistles from the photographers.

As the men began to put away their equipment Hermione put her clothes back on and gathered up her belongings, ready to leave whenever Mr Fenwick was ready. She was on her way out the door when Lucius caught up with her. He had been talking to Professor Snape again and caught Hermione’s eye when she tried to look at the Potions Master in hopes of saying goodbye to him.

‘It’s been a real pleasure to work with you, Miss Granger,’ Lucius said sincerely, ‘and I can assure you that I will endeavour to do everything I can to get you to agree to model for me. It will happen eventually, I’m certain of it.’

Hermione smiled. ‘And I meant what I said about not wanting to take my clothes off, Lucius. I don’t think I’m the model that you’re after.’

Before she realised what he was doing Lucius moved closer to her and whispered in her ear, which caused a shiver to run straight up her spine. ‘Oh, you most certainly are the model I want, Hermione. There are so many things I want to do with you, and not all of them involve photography.’

He gave her ear a tiny kiss and then pulled away, winking at her wickedly as she stared at him in shock.

‘I’ll talk to you soon,’ he said, his voice seductive once more.

Hermione didn’t know what to say so she didn’t say anything. Professor Snape smiled at her and, smiling back, she raised her hand to wave goodbye, then went to find Mr Fenwick so he could take her home.  


	3. Chapter 3

It was a few weeks later, and whilst Hermione was at work, that an owl arrived from Professor Snape inviting her to join him the following Sunday — if she was still interested and wasn’t too busy. She almost whooped with delight, causing her colleagues to stare at her curiously. Her heart started racing again at the realisation that he hadn’t just been being polite to her and really did think she would enhance his photographs. She wasn’t seriously holding out much hope that anything else would happen between them, but she was determined to be ready in case the opportunity arose.

After the shoot she had done at Malfoy Manor, Mr Fenwick had contacted her and invited her to take part in one of the camera club’s ‘costume scenarios’ and she had agreed to consider it. He had assured her that there would be no nudity and that costumes would be provided for what was to be a mixed-sex group shoot — both models and photographers — and mentioned a surprisingly large sum of money for what appeared to Hermione to be an easier session than the one she had already participated in. She had seriously considered it for a while but eventually turned down the opportunity; she didn’t want to become reliant on the money as she had no intention of continuing to model for the club, regardless of how well her inaugural shoot had gone. Now, she was extremely glad she had decided against going as it clashed with her date with Professor Snape, and she knew which one she would prefer to do.

Thinking of Professor Snape had made her think briefly of Lucius, who she had been steadfastly avoiding ever since the Hogsmeade Camera Club shoot had taken place. He had tried to collar her one day in a corridor in the Ministry of Magic but fortunately she wasn’t alone and was on her way to a meeting so she couldn’t stop to talk to him for longer than just a polite greeting. Ever since then she had carefully scanned the area where she was walking to ensure he didn’t come upon her unawares and catch her somewhere she couldn’t escape him; she suspected long-term exposure to his seductive and flirtatious personality could prove fatal, regardless of her current resolve. She had obviously been a decent enough model, as Dean had been complementary, although to be honest she expected nothing less of her good-natured friend; but even Percy had sought her out and congratulated her on what he had called ‘an exemplary shoot’. 

When the allotted day arrived Hermione met Severus, as he had insisted she call him, in Hogsmeade. After a short discussion he Apparated them both to his home in a place called Spinner’s End, stopping only briefly in the rather old-fashioned terraced house to collect his camera before walking with Hermione to the park, which turned out to be every bit as beautiful as he had told her it was. The two of them had spent several hours walking around. Severus took many photographs, most of which had Hermione in them. He also bought her the promised ice cream, and as they sat by the lake watching children feed the ducks and play with toy boats, she told him all about her job at the Ministry of Magic. She was pleased to find that he was interested and had obviously listened to what she was saying, as he asked her several pertinent and intelligent questions.

Hermione enjoyed every minute of their time together and soon came to realise that her schoolgirl crush had evolved into something far deeper and naughtier. She really did fancy Severus and she wasn’t looking forward to the afternoon coming to an end. As they slowly walked back towards Severus’ home, talking now more generally of various people they knew, Hermione wished she didn’t have to leave him. She was aware that the Potions Master needed to return to Hogwarts for school the following day and she had to go to work, too, but she would quite happily have spent all night awake if it would give her more time with the object of her affection. She was therefore delighted when Severus invited her to stay for dinner.    

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘I have to admit to having been a little sneaky,’ Severus told her as they were enjoying a glass of red wine at the table after eating a delicious home-cooked meal.

Hermione had been a little surprised at Severus’ cooking skills. There was no reason he shouldn’t have been a good cook, but spending so much time at Hogwarts where meals were served to him three times a day probably didn’t do anything to keep his skills up. Hermione, who had trouble boiling water let alone making anything edible that didn’t involve toast, was always impressed when anyone showed the slightest skill in the kitchen. She often joked that the main reason she had stayed friends with Ron after leaving school was so she would at least get a decent meal a couple of times a week as he had turned out to be a fabulous cook. Obviously, this wasn’t the main reason for their friendship but it did explain why several evenings a week were spent at Harry and Ron’s flat rather than at hers.

Hermione looked at Severus with interest. Her voice was amused as she asked, ‘Sneaky, eh? Why, what have you done?’

‘I was hoping that the meal and the wine might relax you enough that I could convince you to do a little more modelling for me,’ he admitted, trying to sound casual. ‘I suppose you could call it a bribe.’

Hermione looked at him in astonishment. He had taken four rolls of film during their walk that afternoon and yet he was proposing to take more photos of her. She thought about the dingy lounge she had looked around briefly while Severus had started preparing their dinner — bookcases containing old, thick potions books lined the walls; a dowdy three-piece suite that definitely needed reupholstering faced an ugly fireplace, along with a violently-patterned carpet that clashed with the furniture and was straight out of the 1970s. She had decided to go and watch Severus cook rather than stay in the depressing, ugly room, and she was a little disconcerted that he might want to take photographs of her there.

_But perhaps he won’t choose the lounge,_ the little voice in her brain said wickedly. _There are other rooms in the house. Maybe he’ll take you to his bedroom. Perhaps he wants to take photos of you laying on his bed._

A small shiver of excitement ran up Hermione’s spine at this possibility and she couldn’t help wondering what Severus’ bedroom looked like. She just hoped it was a little less gaudily decorated than the lounge.

‘And where do you want to take these photos?’ she asked, looking at him intently as she took a sip of her wine.       

Severus looked a little uncomfortable for a moment; then he said, ‘I was wondering if you might allow me to take them in . . . erm . . . my laboratory.’

‘Your laboratory.’ Hermione repeated the words, sounding surprised.

She’d had no idea that he had a laboratory at the house. But of course it made sense. He was a Potions Master, after all and it was unlikely that he only made potions when he was at school. Taking photos of her in there would cover all his interests in one fell swoop.

‘Do you mind?’ he asked carefully. ‘You can say no if you’d rather not. I understand that you might be fed up with me taking your photograph after this afternoon.’

Hermione, relaxed by the wine, decided it was time to be brave. She smiled at him. ‘I’m happy to do it, Severus. The meal was truly delicious, as is the wine, and it’s the least I can do to repay you for your hospitality.’

_And it means I don’t have to go home just yet, too,_ she thought wickedly. _And who knows where photographs in the laboratory might lead if I’m really lucky._

Severus looked pleased with her response and hurriedly cleared away the dishes, putting them to soak in the sink.

‘Just wait there and I’ll get my camera and some more film then we can go to the laboratory . . . if you’re ready to move, that is?’

‘I’m ready whenever you are,’ Hermione told him with a grin.

In truth she was actually quite interested to see Severus’ laboratory as she had always been fascinated by his classroom at Hogwarts. Although she had heard that his office contained some awful things in jars, she had always had the urge to go and have a look at them, too, as she knew some of the contents were supposed to be quite rare. It would be fascinating to see what he had here, what he felt he could keep in a Muggle home, although it would be quite safe — he probably didn’t get many visitors considering the state of the place, and it was unlikely the house would be burgled as he had probably placed repelling charms on the house to stop Muggles being too nosey.

Severus stuck his head round the door. ‘If you want to come this way? Bring the wine.’

Hermione stood up, and taking the bottle and both glasses of wine with her she followed Severus to his laboratory. She was impressed she had to admit. It was an extremely well-stocked room and looked like a little piece of Hogwarts inside a small terraced Muggle house. Severus was already setting up his camera, adjusting a small tripod he had put on top of the workbench.

‘Can you get a cauldron from the cupboard over there, please?’ he asked as he indicated to the left of him.

Hermione put the bottle and wine glasses down and went to the cupboard, opening it to discover a stock of different sized cauldrons in varying metals.

‘Any one in particular?’ she asked.

Snape looked appraisingly at Hermione for a moment and then towards the open cupboard. ‘A gold one would be good. Any size.’

Hermione located a mid-size gold cauldron and took it back over to the bench and set it up. At Snape’s request she retrieved the ingredients for a simple reducing solution while he put a new roll of film in his camera. Finally he was ready to shoot, and over the next forty-five minutes he took several photographs of her while she made the potion. At first it was a bit strange, being photographed while she brewed, and it was even odder to be making a potion after so many years, but Hermione remembered her lessons well enough and soon had a perfectly brewed potion bubbling away in the cauldron.

‘I wonder if I could be a little bit cheekier?’ Severus asked her, after he had placed yet another roll of film in his camera.

Hermione looked at him with interest. ‘Cheek away.’

‘I know this seems a bit odd, considering the location, but I was just wondering whether there was any chance of you. . . .’ He broke off for a moment, licking his lips, as Hermione continued to stare at him. ‘Your dress is beautiful, but. . . .’ 

‘You want me to take it off?’ Hermione asked with a smile.

‘As I said, I know I’m being really cheeky,’ Severus replied, grinning ruefully.

Hermione shrugged as she gave him a wink. ‘Why not? I mean, you’ve seen it all before.’

Her heart was racing as she opened the dress to reveal the sexiest underwear she owned, which she had worn on the extremely vague off-chance that she and Severus might get intimate. She took her time, knowing that Severus was photographing her as she undressed. She enjoyed teasing him as she slowly revealed her body to him. And she knew it was working. She could tell from the way he was directing her that he was getting pleasure from watching her, as much as she was enjoying giving him a show.

For a moment Lucius Malfoy’s rose garden slid into her mind and once again she imagined Severus there, photographing her as she lay naked on the bench. Suddenly she knew what she was going to do. Judging where the camera was and moving slightly so she was mainly hidden behind the still bubbling cauldron, Hermione reached behind her and undid her bra, pulling it off and dropping it on the workbench.

Severus made a quiet noise which sounded to Hermione like a sigh or a moan and she smiled at him as he continued to snap away at her, hoping that she had got it right and her breasts were covered by the cauldron.

‘Can you pass me my wine?’ she asked, noticing that her voice was now a bit husky. Mr Fenwick had been right: photographic shoots could be extremely erotic.

Severus hurriedly refilled her almost empty glass and passed it to her as he stared constantly, apparently unable to take his eyes off her. Hermione took a large mouthful of the wine to give her courage and then moved so she was no longer standing behind the cauldron.

‘You really are absolutely gorgeous,’ Severus said as he continued to gaze at her, his voice full of awe. It had also got lower and richer. ‘So beautiful.’

Hermione felt herself blushing at his compliment and could feel the butterflies swooping and diving in her stomach. He thought she was beautiful. But how to take advantage of the situation and move it on?

‘Do you want to take any more photos?’ she enquired.

‘I have to admit I would like to take hundreds of them,’ Severus answered truthfully, his voice a little stiff. ‘Although I’m afraid I’m not thinking about taking them in the laboratory.’

‘Do you want to move somewhere else, then?’ Hermione asked quietly. She knew she was shaking a little; arousal was running through her entire body in waves. She took another calming sip of the wine.

‘Hermione, I can’t ask you to—’

She cut him off as she walked right up to him, looking deep into his eyes as she put her hand over his mouth to stop him speaking. Well, she had gone this far — so she might as go the whole hog.

‘Tell me what you want and I’ll do it, Severus,’ she told him, her voice even huskier now.

Severus’ eyes widened for a moment.

‘Are you sure?’ he asked. There was a slightly desperate quality to his voice now, although he was trying to hide it.

‘Absolutely,’ Hermione confirmed with a nod. ‘On one condition.’

‘And what’s that?’ Severus asked, his voice darker than she had ever heard it.

Hermione gazed at him, her heart beating like a drum, her stomach swirling with the butterflies and licked her lips nervously. Did she really dare to say what she was thinking? Well, she had to say something now that she had started and the little voice in her mind was screaming at her to go for it.

‘That you give me a kiss,’ she said with a smile. ‘Give me a kiss, Severus, and I’m all yours.’

He looked at her with longing but admitted ruefully, ‘I’m not really one for kissing. I haven’t honestly had that much opportunity.’

‘Time to start, then,’ Hermione replied quietly and she moved to wrap her arms around him, her lips moving towards his.

For a moment Severus did nothing, but as their lips met he suddenly pulled her close in return, his arms holding her tight as his mouth attacked hers feverishly. Hermione could feel the buttons on his frock coat pressing into her skin as he gripped her hard, the kissing gaining in intensity the longer it continued. He might not get the opportunity to kiss much but as far as she was concerned he was amazing at it and now she was desperate for more.

‘That was wonderful,’ she whispered sincerely as they finally parted. ‘You can do that as much as you like, Se—’

She was cut off by another kiss, every bit as passionate as the one before; one of Severus’ hands moved to run through her hair as his tongue plundered hers. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him, realising as she did that he was as aroused as she.

‘I really want to take you to bed, Hermione,’ Severus told her honestly after several more kisses had occurred.

‘Yes, please,’ she responded, looking into his eyes so he could see she was serious.

He loosed the hand in her hair, dropping it to her bottom where it was soon joined by the other and he picked her up. Hermione wrapped her legs around him, her arms still around his neck. Her lips attacked his with small pecking kisses as he carried her from the room and made his way along the hall corridor and up the stairs.

‘Are you sure about this?’ he asked her, his voice rich and dark and sounding serious as they stopped on the landing outside a closed door.

Hermione drew him into another kiss. Once it had finished she told him, ‘I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life, Severus.’

Anxiety gone, now replaced by elation, Severus smiled happily and opened the door to his bedroom, walking rapidly across the room to release Hermione onto the bed. He gazed down on her where she now lay, the desire shining brightly in his eyes.

‘I forgot the camera,’ he said quietly.

Hermione reached out her arms to him. ‘You can get it later . . . unless you want to take photos first.’

Severus looked like he was torn. It was clear that he wanted to kiss her again and join her on the bed, but at the same time he was aware that he missing a once in a lifetime photographic opportunity. Hermione put her arms down.

‘Go and get your camera,’ she told him gently, with a smile. ‘Now I’m here it would be a shame to waste the opportunity.’

Severus bent to kiss her again, his hand stroking her cheek as he pulled away.

‘Don’t move,’ he said as he stood up, prepared to race back to the laboratory to get his camera.

‘Oh, I’ve no intention of going anywhere,’ Hermione told him honestly. ‘Hurry back.’

Severus must have run, she decided, as it took him less than two minutes to retrieve his camera and return to her side. It was almost as quick as Apparating and it had given her virtually no time to look around the room. She had, however, established that it was better decorated than his lounge and that there wasn’t actually all that much to look at.

The bedroom was plain, extremely so, with bare white walls and an un-patterned dark blue carpet on the floor. There was a wardrobe, a chair, and a full-length mirror in one corner of the room, but with the exception of a clock on the wall opposite the mirror there was nothing else apart from the bed, a large metal bedstead with a comfortable mattress and plain white cotton bedding.

It was nothing like the sort of bedroom or bed she had always imagined him having, although it was possible that his bedroom at Hogwarts was the dark Slytherin haven she had always fantasised about at school. This room at Spinner’s End was comforting, and whilst not exactly sensual it was a secret side of Severus that she suspected not many people knew about, and she was excited that he had shared it with her.

She gave him another beaming smile as he entered the room.

‘No, don’t sit up,’ he commanded as he raised his camera. Hermione lay back and imagined kissing him again as he began to photograph her once more.

More direction and lots more photographs followed, although Hermione also managed to gain several more kisses into the bargain. And then somehow she found herself sweet-talked into removing her knickers and laying seductively, face forward on the bed, as a flurry of shots followed.

‘You told Lucius you would never model completely naked,’ Severus reminded her, sounding a touch smug as he watched her change position slightly, his keen eyes taking in every inch of her wondrous body.

‘So I did,’ Hermione said wickedly with a little smirk. ‘And I was right. I never will for him.’

‘Are you sure?’ Severus asked as he joined her on the bed, his camera now discarded on the chair. Apparently he had finished with the photography for the time being and wanted to kiss her instead. ‘He would pay you extremely handsomely for the opportunity, and I can assure you he would most definitely appreciate you.’

‘I’m positive,’ Hermione insisted as he took her in his arms, kissing her once more. ‘I told you, I’m not doing any more photographic shoots for money — and anyway Lucius doesn’t just have photography on his mind.’

‘Neither do I,’ Severus told her salaciously with a small chuckle. ‘In fact, I seem to have completely forgotten about that side of things.’ His hand brushed over Hermione’s left breast, fingers catching the already stiffened nipple, and he smiled.

‘Well, thank god for that. I was beginning to think we were never going to get to the sex,’ Hermione said lightly.

‘So you want to have sex, do you?’ Severus asked. His voice was smooth and quiet in her ear, enough to make her shiver; then he kissed down her throat.

‘Don’t you want to, then?’ Hermione asked, sounding amused, although her stomach was doing that swirly anxious thing again.

She could feel Severus pressed against her and knew the interest was there; she just wanted to hear him say it, to confirm that his desire was as strong as hers.

‘I think you know exactly how I feel, Hermione,’ Severus drawled, his voice low, dark, and deeply delicious, ‘and just what I want.’

Hermione reached down to grasp the front of his trousers but Severus was faster and had already moved, releasing her from his arms. After a little wrestling that happened before she even knew what he was doing, she was laying on her back again and Severus was gazing avidly at her as he gently spread her legs, revealing the only part of her that he had not, until that moment, been able to see with any real clarity.

‘Perfect!’ he announced happily.

Before Hermione had a chance to respond he moved once more. His warm, wet tongue circled her clit as his fingers gently pulled the lips of her labia apart, opening her up to him before he buried his face, causing her to cry out loudly, not ready for the unexpected attack. It felt wonderful as his mouth and fingers explored her. That amazing tongue was back on her clit before she had a chance to recover and she couldn’t stop herself from crying out again. The swirly feeling in her stomach was joined by a dull ache deep inside her mound that grew every time Severus’ tongue did magnificent things to her body. She clutched at the pillows, her arms above her head, gripping them tightly as her body arched in reaction to the feelings Severus was arousing in her. The subtle tug inside her made her scream as everything turned liquid.

She was gasping and panting and tears were leaking from her eyes as Severus kissed her clit one final time before working his way up her body, the roughness of the material of his jacket rubbing against her sensitive skin, raising goosebumps everywhere he touched.    

‘Oh my god, that was good,’ Hermione told him breathlessly. She was having trouble speaking because of the feelings Severus was still arousing in her with his touch. ‘Mmmmmmmm.’

‘I think I’m getting the hang of the kissing thing,’ he said with a grin as his mouth reached her breasts. He kissed each nipple in turn before licking and sucking the final one his mouth fastened on, his hand squeezing and playing with the other.

Hermione moaned again and released the pillows, running her hands through his hair as she moved against him.

‘Severus, I want you,’ she whispered, and he raised his head to look at her.

Hermione pulled at his jacket and Severus sat up, allowing her to do the same and giving her access to undo the buttons. He helped her, their eager fingers catching and entwining occasionally as they both worked to undress him, he pulling off the jacket as Hermione started unbuttoning his shirt. Then he was topless, watching Hermione as she ran her hands lightly over his body, his own nipples stiffening and poking through the sparse dark hairs on his chest. A smile of desire lit up Hermione’s face as she concentrated on what she was doing. Smiling himself, Severus stroked her cheek gently as he bent to kiss her, their lips meeting tenderly.

Hermione’s forefinger traced its way down Severus’ body, slowly and with total control, until she reached his trousers. She grabbed the bulge and gave it a gentle squeeze, hearing him give a hiss as his lips left hers for only a moment. The need to get at what was beneath the fabric made her more frantic and she tore at the buttons, almost ripping them off in her desire to touch him properly; to give him as much pleasure as he had given her. His hands were holding her head, his fingers running through her hair as he kissed her again and again, crying out louder this time as Hermione finally released his erection, her hand closing around it to pump and squeeze as he moaned her name into her mouth.

‘Just lie back and relax,’ she told him quietly as she pushed him down this time. Her lips touched the old scarring on his throat and shoulder, then further down, watching his stomach contract as she tickled around his belly button with her tongue before finally pouncing on the erect penis that was nestled in a bush of black hair. Using her tongue to tease and arouse, she licked the shaft down to the base. She heard a loud groan from Severus. Around and around she worked, her tongue spiralling up and down the flesh that was now rock hard, until she knew she had teased him sufficiently and he was on the verge of screaming out in frustration. Her mouth sank over his hard length, sucking him deep inside. As she enjoyed the taste of him, his hands found her hair once more and twined through it as he fought to stop himself from pushing her onto him harder.

‘Fuck, that’s fantastic!’ he exclaimed as Hermione got into her stride, reaching down to stroke and cup his balls, squeezing them gently as she sucked on him.

He released her head for a moment and she raised her eyes to look at him, drawing another massive groan. Keeping him in her mouth, she once again swirled her tongue around the hard length, knowing that he wasn’t going to last long.

‘I’m going to cum,’ he cried, sounding almost as if he was in pain.

Hermione redoubled her efforts, forcing him ever onwards, determined to give him the greatest amount of pleasure she could.  

‘Oh gods, I’m cumming,’ he moaned. ‘Oh gods, Hermione . . . Hermione. . . .’

He hadn’t quite finished cumming as he pulled out of her mouth and sat up, leaving a small trail of cum over her lips and on her right breast. He gazed at her with excitement for a moment, then looked towards the chair containing his camera. Before he could move to get it, Hermione grabbed his arm and pulled him back down onto the bed, shaking her head.

‘You are not taking photos of this,’ she said quietly but firmly as she wiped her face. 

Severus looked a bit guilty. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said apologetically.

Hermione grinned at him. ‘I think I’ve already gone above and beyond the call of duty with regards to photography this evening, Severus. Maybe another time, but tonight let’s just do it without the camera.’

He stroked her cheek as he studied her for a moment and then nodded his agreement. He bent to kiss her and before long they were laying on the bed once more, wrapped in each other’s arms as they kissed and stroked each other.

‘I don’t think it will be long before I’m ready to go again,’ Severus told her during a break in the kissing. ‘You are so arousing, Hermione. I get horny just thinking about you, let alone touching you.’

Hermione smiled. ‘I don’t mind, I like the kissing. I’ve always enjoyed it and you are especially wonderful.’

‘I’ve come to have quite a soft spot for it myself,’ Severus told her, as he pulled her close once more.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hermione was amazed that they achieved any sleep at all as it seemed Severus was almost as insatiable as she was. She was astonished at just how wanton she had been, her deep-rooted desire for her old teacher spurring her, and him for that matter, into continuing long after they should have given up and gone to sleep.

But now they had to get up, Severus to return to Hogwarts where his first lesson started at nine o’clock and she to her job at the Ministry, where yet another difficult meeting awaited. But strangely she wasn’t bothered about that; nothing was able to shift the joyous feeling that permeated her entire body. She reached for Severus, hoping for at least another wonderful kiss and with any luck something more, but after only a couple of minutes he reluctantly released her.

‘I have to get ready to go,’ he said as he slid out of bed, bending to give her one more kiss. ‘There’s just about time for a shower. I’ve got a long day today with several classes of real dunderheads.’

Hermione chuckled. ‘You think all your students are dunderheads, and they’re not really. Anyway, you’ve got it easy. I’ve got another meeting with the Anti-Elvish Welfare League this afternoon. They really are dunderheads.’ She sighed. ‘Although, at least I’ve a nice meal to look forward to tonight.’

Severus looked interested. ‘Are you going somewhere nice?’

‘Oh, only to the Burrow. We all usually go there for Sunday lunch, but Harry and Ginny had some Quidditch thing on yesterday and Ron was going with them, and then I was busy, too, so Mrs Weasley said we should go round tonight instead. At least it means I don’t have to cook . . . again.’ She gave a small yawn. ‘I suppose I should get up, too,’ she added, sounding reluctant.

Severus grabbed Hermione’s arm and began to pull her from the bed. ‘I didn’t say I was showering alone,’ he told her, his deep voice sounding amused. ‘Come on, let’s go and get wet while we’ve still got time.’

Hermione somehow managed to bite back the comment that she already was, and went with it, following Severus out of the bedroom and across the landing into a small, functional, but plainly decorated bathroom. He turned on the shower and pulled the curtain across the bath, then climbed in, still holding Hermione’s hand as he helped her in beside him.

Kisses followed as did a lot of soaping down, some of which involved laughing because of tickling each other. This eventually gave way to sex, which was at least as intimate as anything that had happened between them while they were in bed. When they finally emerged quite some time later Severus, being the true gentleman he was, gave Hermione the towels that were hanging on the rail while he left the bathroom to find some more in the airing cupboard. They returned to the bedroom but had no time to do anything but get dressed, realising that after their tryst in the shower they were now running late.

Remembering that her bra and dress were still on the workbench in Severus’ laboratory, Hermione left the bedroom once more, taking the rest of her stuff with her to save her having to go back. He joined her as she was doing up her dress, and she couldn’t help feeling jealous that he was ready to go, dressed in the ubiquitous black frock coat and robes that he always wore, while she was still going to have to go home and get changed. She couldn’t possibly go into work dressed as she was.

‘Thank you for letting me take all those wonderful photographs of you yesterday,’ Severus said, his voice smooth as silk.

He wrapped his arms around her for one final kiss that went on for several minutes.

‘I enjoyed it,’ Hermione admitted as she bent down to put on her shoes. She stood up and looked at him with a big smile that she couldn’t stop even if she wanted to. ‘I enjoyed all of it. Thank you, Severus.’

He looked at his watch and frowned. ‘I’m sorry, Hermione, but I really have to go, otherwise chaos will reign supreme,’ he said apologetically.

‘I need to go and get changed before I go to work anyway,’ Hermione told him.

Suddenly there was a moment of awkwardness where it seemed that neither of them knew what to say.

‘Right, I’d better go,’ Hermione said briskly. ‘Thank you again for yesterday, Severus. It was fantastic — all of it — and I would be more than happy to do any or all of it again.’

She leant forward and gave him a brief kiss on the lips as he stroked her face.

‘You really are gorgeous, Hermione,’ he said, but he seemed a little distracted, she assumed due to being late for work.

Hermione knew she had to go before Severus could leave, so she pulled her wand from her handbag and Disapparated. Appearing in her own bedroom, she hurriedly walked to the wardrobe and pulled out suitable work clothes. She was still buzzing from what had happened between her and Severus and she knew she was grinning like a lunatic, but the last-minute awkwardness and the fact that Severus hadn’t said anything about seeing her again put a slight damper on her mood. As she bustled into the bathroom to do her makeup she chided herself for being stupid.

Severus was late for work, because of her, and his job wasn’t like hers where she could turn up a few minutes late without any consequences. Him being late would disrupt the lessons of a whole class of children and would probably put him in trouble with the Headmistress. And he probably had stuff to do as Head of Slytherin House, too, which he now wouldn’t get done before school started, which would make him late for the rest of the day. It was no wonder he hadn’t mentioned anything about seeing her again; he was probably too busy thinking about how he could reschedule everything. It didn’t mean he didn’t want to see her; surely the magnificent sex they’d had pointed towards it being more than a one night stand, didn’t it?

By the time Hermione left for work, herself now almost fifteen minutes late, she had pushed her worries about Severus to one side, her brain now focussing instead on the difficult meeting she had to prepare for.  


	4. Chapter 4

‘Hullo, Hermione dear,’ Mrs Weasley said with a fond smile as Hermione emerged from the Floo. ‘Ginny’s in the lounge if you want to go through and see her. I’m not quite sure where Harry and Ronald have got to. They were going to the village, but that was some time ago. I don’t know if they’re back yet.’ She passed Hermione a mug containing tea that she had just poured from a large teapot, studying the younger woman closely as she asked, ‘How are you?’

‘I’m good, thanks, Mrs Weasley,’ Hermione replied politely as she put a spoonful of sugar in her tea and stirred it. ‘I’ll go in and see Ginny, then. I’m sure the others will be back soon enough — it’ll be nice to have a few minutes of sensible conversation with her before they ruin it.’ She grinned. 

‘Dinner will be in about an hour,’ Mrs Weasley told her. ‘We’re just waiting for Arthur to get back. He had a late meeting this afternoon so he’s a bit delayed.’

Nodding to show she understood, Hermione took her tea into the lounge.

‘What on earth are you so happy about?’ Ginny asked immediately as she rose to greet her friend with a hug. Hermione put her mug on the coffee table before hugging Ginny in return.

‘What are you talking about?’ she asked innocently.

Ginny took hold of her hands as she moved back to get a better look at her friend.

‘Look at you — you’re glowing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you looking so happy, Hermione. Come on, sit down and tell me what’s going on.’

Hermione gave a mysterious smile.

‘Well, come on, spill,’ Ginny said more aggressively as she pulled Hermione down onto the sofa next to her.

Hermione shrugged. ‘I just had a good night, that’s all.’

‘Very good, if that grin is anything to go by,’ Ginny retorted, her own smile growing. Hermione’s happiness was obviously infectious. ‘So who was this “good night” with, then?’

Hermione bit her bottom lip as she debated what to say. She was still trying to get over the fact that she and Severus had become intimate and she wasn’t sure she was ready to share yet, especially if it turned out to just be a one-night stand, as a little part of her was now worried it would be. But Ginny was tenacious and wouldn’t stop until she got an answer and it probably wouldn’t be long until she worked it out for herself, if Hermione really was still looking as elated as she felt.

‘I had a very pleasant evening with Professor Severus Snape,’ she admitted, trying to make it sound as innocent and unromantic as possible.

Ginny, not fooled for a moment, whooped at her comment, almost rising from the sofa as she shouted. Then she put her hands over her mouth in a gesture of shock. Ginny was the only person Hermione had ever told about her crush on Professor Snape, and her friend had supported her through years of unrequited desire even though she had never understood Hermione’s attraction for the snarky Potions Master.

‘Oh my god, Hermione. You didn’t? No wonder you’re so bloody happy. So come on, don’t stop there. What happened? Tell me everything.’

‘Well, what do you think happened?’ Hermione said, sounding a little smug. She was grinning even more widely now.

Ginny gave an excited gasp. ‘Oh my god. This is amazing. What was he like . . . oh . . . obviously he was great from the way you’re grinning.’

‘I am _not_ going to tell you what happened . . . but he was fantastic,’ Hermione confirmed excitedly. ‘Even better than I’d always imagined he would be. We had a really good night.’

‘So where did you go?’ Ginny asked interestedly. ‘I mean, did he take you out somewhere first or did you just get it on?’

Hermione hesitated as she debated once again what she was going to say. She hadn’t told her friends about the modelling she had done for the Camera Club and she wasn’t sure any of them would approve. She decided to ignore that bit for the moment and hope Ginny didn’t ask how they had bumped into each other.

‘He invited me to his place,’ Hermione said, keeping it as simple as possible.

‘What, his quarters at Hogwarts?’ Ginny asked, sounding surprised. ‘I wouldn’t have thought he’d be allowed to do that.’

Hermione picked up her tea and took a sip before shaking her head.

‘Not the school. He has a house in some Muggle town up north. We spent the afternoon having a lovely long walk around the local park and then he wanted to show me his laboratory.’

‘I bet he did,’ Ginny said with a sly wink and a grin. ‘That’s what Potions Masters call it, is it?’

Hermione laughed. ‘No, he really did. It’s fantastic actually. He’s got some amazing stuff in there. It’s just like a mini version of his classroom at Hogwarts.’

Ginny sighed loudly. ‘Please tell me the two of you didn’t spend all night in raptures over cauldrons and potions equipment, however exciting his ingredients are. That can’t be the reason you’re so happy, surely?’

Hermione grinned wickedly again. ‘Not all night, no. Although we did spend quite a bit of time in there. To be honest, the rest of the house is in need of a bit of redecoration. I think when he’s there he spends most of his time in his lab.’

‘What’s the bedroom like?’ Ginny tried to ask the question innocently enough, but Hermione knew she was dying to know.

‘I’ve no idea,’ she said blithely.

Ginny stared at her for a moment gauging her response. ‘Liar,’ she announced loudly. ‘You know exactly what Severus Snape’s bedroom looks like, as you spent the night there.’

Hermione took another sip of her tea before saying calmly, ‘True, but I was rather too focussed on other things to worry about what the bedroom looked like.’

Ginny let out another whoop of delight as Hermione continued drinking her tea.  

‘Well, you must know what the bed was like, at least,’ Ginny said, determined to get something out of her cagey friend.

Hermione shrugged again. ‘It was a bed. It was big and comfortable with white cotton sheets, a thick feather duvet, and nice plump pillows.’

‘What sort of bed? Is it a four-poster? I bet it is. I reckon Snape’s the type for a four-poster bed, although the white sheets surprise me. I’d have thought he’d prefer black satin or something.’

Hermione chuckled and shook her head. ‘It’s a normal metal bedstead with a plain cotton bed set. It was rather pleasant, actually.’

‘You could see yourself spending more time in it, then?’ Ginny probed.

‘I’d love to,’ Hermione admitted. She put down her now empty mug and paused for a few seconds before adding more quietly, ‘I really like him, Gin. I mean, you know I always have, but now I really, really like him.’

‘So are the two of you a couple now?’ Ginny asked.

Hermione shrugged, her bright smile fading a little. ‘I told him before I left that I’d be happy to do it again but he never said anything, so I don’t know. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see if he contacts me.’

‘I’m sure he will,’ Ginny said staunchly. ‘Why wouldn’t he? You’re a fantastic girl and you’re crazy about him. He’d be mad to turn you down.’

‘I hope that’s the case,’ Hermione admitted, sounding a little wistful. ‘I really did love being with him and I’m missing him already. I can’t help wishing I was going to see him tonight.’ She sighed. ‘I know that’s stupid, with him being at the school and unable to get away much . . . but he really was fantastic company.’

Ginny chuckled. ‘I wonder if he’s spent the whole day with the same sort of stupid grin on his face as you have?’

Hermione laughed, too, as she considered the question. ‘Unlikely, I would think. He’s been teaching today and you know he can’t do that without that nasty scowl on his face.’

‘Mind you, I reckon I’d be terrified if I went into his classroom and he was smiling,’ Ginny said honestly. ‘I think I’d panic that something catastrophically nasty had just happened.’

‘His smile’s not that bad,’ Hermione chided, although she looked amused at Ginny’s comment.

‘He does smile, then?’ Ginny asked. ‘I wasn’t sure he was able to. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him without his scowl.’

‘He does smile and he looks great,’ Hermione replied. She was sounding wistful again. ‘It makes him look quite handsome actually.’

‘Not that you’re biased or anything,’ Ginny said laughingly.

She saw Hermione’s smile drop for a moment again as she thought about the Potions Master and suspected she was thinking about whether or not he was going to see her again. Ginny just hoped the man had enough sense to realise what a great catch he had in Hermione and contacted her before the pleasure she had derived from the evening turned to embarrassment or guilt. 

‘I’m sure he’ll contact you soon. I bet he’s feeling the same way you are but he’s just busy with school stuff at the moment,’ Ginny predicted. She chuckled. ‘Now all we need to do is get Ron sorted out.’

‘Get Ron sorted out with what?’ Harry asked as he and Ron joined the two women in the lounge.

‘We need to find him a girlfriend,’ Ginny said matter-of-factly. ‘Can’t have him being the odd one out.’

‘The odd one out?’ Ron frowned as he said it. ‘How am I the odd one out? Hermione hasn’t got a boyfriend.’ He looked at Hermione’s grinning face suspiciously. ‘Have you got a boyfriend?’

Hermione didn’t say anything.

‘Have you got a boyfriend, Hermione?’ Harry repeated sounding interested. ‘Who is it? Is it someone we know?’

‘Is it someone suitable?’ Ron asked.

‘I haven’t got a boyfriend,’ Hermione told the inquisitive pair. ‘At least not yet. But hopefully I might have if he decides he’s interested.’

‘So who is it, then?’ Ron asked.

Hermione gave Ginny a quick look as she said, ‘I don’t want to say at the moment in case it doesn’t work out. I don’t want the two of you taking the piss out of me.’

‘We wouldn’t do that,’ Harry said, trying to sound sincere.

‘Yeah, we would,’ Ron admitted with a grin. ‘So, what, this is just like some bloke you fancy but you haven’t been out with him or anything?’

‘We went out last night,’ Hermione told him. She shot another look at Ginny, who was looking amused but didn’t say anything. ‘But I don’t know yet whether it was just a one-off or will become something more.’

‘Well, did he snog you?’ Harry asked bluntly. ‘That would give you a clue, wouldn’t it? I mean, if he didn’t he’s obviously not interested.’

‘We did kiss a few times,’ Hermione said carefully, thinking about the considerable amount of kissing she and Severus had engaged in once she had convinced him it was a good thing. She bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

‘So that’s a good sign,’ Ron pointed out. ‘Did he say anything about going out again?’

‘No,’ Hermione said quietly, her smile dimming a little again.

‘Ah, tricky,’ Ron said, sounding as if he felt a little awkward. He rubbed his right ear. ‘Well, perhaps he meant to and he forgot.’

‘But why would he have forgotten?’ Harry asked sounding confused. ‘Hermione was right there. Surely he would have asked her if he wanted to see her again, wouldn’t he?’ He sat down on the sofa next to Hermione and patted her hand comfortingly.

Hermione felt the joy that had been inhabiting her body for the entire day rapidly begin to dissipate. Harry was right. Surely if Severus liked her and wanted a relationship he would have said something to her, not just let her leave without any idea of where they stood, regardless of how late they were running . . . wouldn’t he?’

‘Perhaps he wasn’t sure when he would next be available and didn’t want to make arrangements he wouldn’t be able to keep,’ Ginny pointed out cheerfully. She too was patting Hermione’s hand. Then she glared at her boyfriend and brother as she chided, ‘Well done, both of you, for ruining Hermione’s happy mood. She was feeling good because she’d had a really nice date and was looking forward to being asked out again, and you two put a total downer on it by insinuating that he isn’t interested.’

‘I didn’t say that,’ Ron said bullishly. ‘Harry was the one who—’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Hermione said quietly. She pulled her hands free from both her friends, feeling the need to be on her own for a few minutes. She had a horrible feeling she was going to cry. ‘I had a pleasant evening but it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t contact me again.’ She stood up. ‘I think I’m going to get another drink — I’m feeling a bit dehydrated. Does anyone else want anything?’

Ginny still glared at Harry and Ron, annoyed that they had spoiled Hermione’s happy mood and was wondering how she was going to get it back when Arthur Weasley entered the room.

‘Your mother asked me to tell you that dinner will be ready in ten minutes, so don’t go disappearing off anywhere, please.’ He looked around at the group, smiling. ‘Hullo, Hermione. How're things? Work okay, is it?’

Hermione smiled back at him, grateful that she could think about something other than Severus for a few minutes. ‘It’s good, thank you. Mr Weasley. There’s some extremely interesting work coming up which I think is going to keep me rather busy.’

‘Not too busy, I hope,’ Arthur said jovially. ‘You know what they say about all work and no play.’

‘Oh, I don’t mind working. I like to keep busy,’ Hermione told him.

‘Well, you don’t want to end up like Severus,’ Arthur said cheerfully as the dark-robed figure of the Potions Master joined them in the lounge. ‘It was a miracle we could get him to agree to come to dinner tonight.’ He chuckled. ‘You’re definitely far too much work and no play, Severus.’

Hermione thought her heart had stopped when Severus so unexpectedly walked through the door. Then it started again, but twice as fast and she was sure at least three times as loud. She stared at him, her mind racing, wondering what he was doing here and how he felt at seeing her.

Remembrance of the night she had spent with him slid into her mind and she couldn’t help but smile at the thought, even though the worry that he wouldn’t be pleased to see her was making her a little edgy. He seemed happy enough, though, and even had a hint of a smile on his face, and for a moment she felt like laughing, wondering if it was scaring Ginny. She couldn’t stop looking at him, couldn’t stop thinking about how much she wanted him; how she wished she could just kiss him.

‘I’ll just go and help Molly. I’ll give you a shout when we’re ready,’ Arthur said, and he left the room.

Severus stood stiffly just inside the door and looked around uncomfortably. He wanted to talk to Hermione. It was the reason he had accepted Arthur’s invitation to dinner, after all, knowing she would be there, but all her friends were with her. He didn’t want to do or say anything that might embarrass her, but he couldn’t get her away from them without it being obvious.

She looked beautiful again this evening and he really wanted to tell her, wanted to hold her and kiss her as he had before, but for the moment he could do nothing but try not to make it obvious that he was staring at her. She was smiling, which made her look even more attractive and made him hope that she was pleased to see him and that what she had told him that morning about wanting to spend time with him again was true and not just something said to make their parting less awkward.

Ginny grinned as she saw Hermione and Severus stealing glances at each other. She was sure now that he liked Hermione as much as she liked him. She could feel it, the intense attraction that was emanating in waves from both of them. But she was also certain that knowing the sort of people they were, neither of them was going to make the first move, and unless prompted they were going to end the evening just as alone as they were now. There was nothing for it — she was just going to have to do it for them.

‘Professor Snape, how good to see you,’ she said brightly. Hermione was still frozen in the place where she had stopped when Arthur and Professor Snape had entered the room and Ginny nudged her as she stood up. ‘Isn’t it, Hermione?’

Hermione gave her friend a quick look before smiling at Severus as she said, ‘Yes, of course. It’s very nice to see you, Professor Snape.’ She moved a step closer to him. ‘How are you?’

Severus nodded and gave a smile back. ‘I’m very well, thank you, Miss Granger.’

‘This is all a bit formal, isn’t it?’ Ginny said, a mock frown on her face. ‘I’m sure we can all call you Severus now that we’re not at school, can’t we? And you can call us by our first names, too.’

‘I suppose so,’ Severus said, sounding cautious. He took a step closer to Hermione. Ginny nudged her again and she moved another step closer to him.

‘You haven’t been working all _that_ hard, have you, Severus?’ Ginny asked curiously. ‘Surely you must have found time to have _some_ fun?’

Severus glanced at Hermione once more, then back at Ginny. Did she know about him and Hermione? He got the impression that she did and wondered whether she was horrified or pleased. He looked at Harry and Ron, wondering if they knew, too, but it seemed that they were engaged in their own discussion and weren’t taking any notice of the conversation going on around them.

‘Actually, you arrived at a good time,’ Ginny confided with a smile. ‘Hermione went out with a new man last night and we were just debating whether he was going to ask her out again.’ She stared intently at Severus once more. ‘We were unable to decide whether he was interested in her or not, whether there was any chance of anything more serious occurring between them.’

Severus felt a little uncomfortable as Ginny and Hermione both stared keenly at him. Obviously she _had_ spoken to her friend about last night. Hermione was even closer now. Another couple of steps and he would be able to touch her, would be able to take her in his arms and kiss her. But if he did that, what would she do?

‘And what decision did you come to?’ he asked Ginny, although he still only had eyes for Hermione.

‘We couldn’t decide because he was a little uncommunicative about it,’ Ginny said. ‘So what do you think, Severus? Do you think there’s a future to the relationship . . . or was it just a one-night stand?’

Time stood still while Hermione waited for Severus to answer. Part of her was cursing Ginny for being so direct with him; she was worried that he would be annoyed to know she had told her friend about him. But at least she would know for certain where she stood with him, whichever way it went, although she wasn’t sure she would be able to stay at the Burrow for the rest of the evening if the answer was the second option.

Severus stared at Hermione and wondered what she was thinking. He wished he knew whether she had been serious about what she had said before she left. If she was, he didn’t care what any of her friends thought about them being a couple. As long as Hermione wanted him he would be happy to tell everyone in the world to get lost if they opposed the union. As he continued to look at her he caught her eye and she smiled at him again, enough to make his heart race as he remembered the previous night. He smiled back and took another step forward.

‘Oh, I don’t think it was a one-night stand,’ he said, his voice soft and sensual. He took the final step and added, ‘I think it was something far more serious.’

‘Severus,’ Hermione whispered as she continued to look into his eyes.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a kiss.

‘Well, about bloody time, too. That took long enough,’ Ginny announced, sounding relieved.

‘What the hell?’ Ron said.

He and Harry had stopped their conversation when they realised Hermione and Severus were kissing.

‘He’s the one Hermione went out with?’ Harry asked, sounding surprised.

Ginny nodded.

‘And you knew who it was all this time?’ Ron asked. He sounded a bit annoyed.

‘Yes. Hermione told me . . . _in confidence_.’ She looked at the still kissing pair. ‘Well, I think they make a nice couple.’

‘He’s miles too old for her,’ Ron retorted.

‘No, he isn’t,’ Ginny shot back. ‘Anyway, Hermione likes him so it doesn’t matter how old he is.’

‘But I thought they’d only been out once, isn’t that what Hermione said?’ Harry asked.

Hermione and Severus had stopped kissing for a moment but they were still holding tightly to each other as they talked quietly, completely oblivious to anything but each other.

‘Yeah, but she’s fancied him for years,’ Ginny told them blithely.

‘Has she? I didn’t know that,’ Ron said, now sounding and looking as surprised as Harry.

Ginny shrugged. ‘She’s fancied him since we were at school. I don’t suppose she mentioned it to you two because she knew how much you both hated him.’

‘She fancied him at _school_? But he was always such a bastard to us, and he used to call her a know-it-all and be really mean to her.’ Ron sounded disgusted.

Ginny laughed. ‘I didn’t say I understood the attraction. I feel the same as you. But I know Hermione’s had a massive crush on him since she was about sixteen, although obviously it was a big secret.’

‘So how did the two of them get together?’ Harry asked curiously. ‘I didn’t think she’d seen him since leaving school. I never have. He doesn’t come to the Ministry.’

‘Do you know what, I’ve no idea. Hermione didn’t mention anything about how the two of them ended up on a date. But you’re right, they don’t exactly move in the same circles, do they?’ Ginny said, sounding curious herself now.

‘So where did she say they went last night?’ Ron asked. ‘That might give us a clue. Maybe they both belong to some boring reading club or something.’

Ginny shrugged vaguely as if she didn’t know. She had a feeling Hermione wouldn’t want her to share with Harry and Ron what she had actually been doing. If she wanted them to know, she could tell them herself. But now Ginny thought about it, how Hermione and Severus had got together was an extremely good question. She was sure Hermione hadn’t been anywhere near Hogwarts since they left school, none of them had, and Severus wasn’t known for leaving his dungeon. That was the whole point of her father’s earlier joke about him being all work and no play. Which also made it strange that he had chosen tonight to accept an invitation to dinner. Had he known Hermione was going to be here, too? Perhaps she had mentioned it to him while they were. . . .

Ginny was pulled away from her chain of thought by Ron.

‘Oh, for Merlin’s sake, get a room, you two!’ he announced huffily, looking with distaste at Hermione and Severus, who were kissing again.

‘Well, now you know what it was like for the rest of us when we had to watch you and Lavender drooling all over each other in the Gryffindor common room, Ronald,’ Hermione replied tartly, once they stopped kissing. Then, grinning wickedly, she grabbed Severus’ face and kissed him again.   

‘She’s got a point,’ Ginny said fairly to her now sulking brother. ‘You two really were disgusting. Everyone in Gryffindor thought so — and it went on for _weeks_. Although. . . .’ She looked at the still snogging couple. ‘Really, stop now . . . honestly. You’re going to put us off our dinner otherwise.’

Severus released Hermione as the latest kiss finished. He had his arm around her waist and was smiling at her fondly. Looking away from her for a few seconds, he grinned ruefully at the other occupants of the room.

‘I’m sorry, you’re right, we got a little carried away, which isn’t nice for anyone else to have to witness. Perhaps we should—’

‘You haven’t got time,’ Ginny said, shaking her head. ‘Dad said dinner was almost ready. Mum will go ballistic if we don’t all sit down on time; you know what she’s like.’

‘Indeed, we would not want to upset the esteemed Molly Weasley,’ Severus said dryly. ‘However, I will admit to having trouble keeping my hands off my beautiful fiancée.’ He smiled again at Hermione, his free hand now holding hers as his other arm remained tightly around her waist.

‘Your what?’ Ron blurted. He looked at the couple in shock.

‘But you’ve only been out once, haven’t you? How can Hermione be your fiancée?’ Harry asked.

Severus shrugged. ‘I’ve known Hermione for twelve years. Whilst we might not have been in a relationship during that time, I know more than enough about her to know that we’re suited as a couple, and the date yesterday confirmed that. That being said, it seems pointless to wait months before announcing our engagement.’

‘But you don’t even know what she’s like. You only saw what she was like in lessons,’ Ron retorted angrily. ‘And even then you were a complete bastard to her.’

‘I will admit that I wasn’t always fair towards Hermione when she was at school, but I know she understands why and I’m sure she’s forgiven me for it after all this time. But as for not knowing her, Ronald, I would contend that I know her at least as well as you do. I know you all. You all did your growing up at Hogwarts, and your personalities and your likes and dislikes were made perfectly clear to everyone who interacted with you at school. Those of us who taught you and were there with you on a daily basis got to know you at least as well if not better than your peers, and in some cases far better than you knew yourselves.’

‘But there’s more to a relationship than just knowing what someone is like,’ Harry pointed out. ‘I mean, if you’re going to end up married to someone for years surely you need to know that you’re going to be compatible in more ways than just sharing a few interests.’

‘Yeah, what happens if you can’t make her happy in the bedroom?’ Ron added a touch snidely.

Severus looked smug. ‘Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that. Why do you think I want to marry Hermione?’

‘But you’ve only been out once,’ Ron said. 

‘Oh, for god’s sake, Ron,’ Ginny said exasperatedly. ‘It’s obvious, isn’t it? Clearly Hermione’s desire for Severus wasn’t all one-way. I don’t think it would need to take them that long to realise they wanted to be a bit more intimate, and Severus is right — after knowing each other for twelve years, why should they wait to get engaged if they like each other that much?’

She was beaming as she moved to hug Hermione and then, a little more stiffly, Severus.

‘Congratulations, both of you. Ignore the idiots. I think you make a lovely couple and I know you’ll be good for each other.’

Harry and Ron continued to stare in surprise without saying anything.

‘So how did the two of you get together?’ Ginny asked, figuring she could safely ask the question now as it might deflect from the shock of the engagement announcement.

Hermione looked at Severus as she debated what to say. She still wasn’t sure about revealing her modelling career, especially considering Ron and Harry’s reaction to her relationship with Severus and their engagement. She could already imagine what they would say if they knew they had hooked up after she had taken her clothes off — and for money, too.

She wasn’t surprised they were in shock, though. So was she. Her stomach had already been doing that swirly thing it always seemed to do when Severus was around when he told Ginny the relationship was serious, not a one-night stand. When he told her friends that she was his fiancée she almost fainted, and it was only the fact that he was holding onto her so tightly that stopped her from hitting the floor.

How she didn’t look as shocked as Harry and Ron she would never know, although that stupid smile that had been there all day was plastered even more firmly on her face now. Her entire body fizzed with excitement at the possibility of becoming Mrs Severus Snape. She really hoped it wasn’t just Severus winding up her friends; that would be too cruel.

Luckily for Hermione she was saved from answering Ginny’s question as Arthur stuck his head around the door to announce that dinner was ready. He made no comment about Hermione and Snape being in each other’s arms, either not noticing or, as Ginny suspected, not seeing anything amiss about it. She wondered whether Severus had talked to her father about Hermione.

‘I’ll go and see if we’ve got something decent to drink so we can celebrate,’ she said, and she followed her father out the door.

‘We’ll be there in a moment,’ Severus said to the two men, who were still looking suspiciously at him. ‘I just want a quick word with Hermione first.’

Harry nodded and he grabbed Ron’s arm and pulled him out the door.

Hermione turned to face Severus. ‘Your fiancée?’ she hissed quietly. ‘I don’t recall you asking me to marry you at any point last night . . . or this morning.’       

Severus pulled her towards him. ‘No, I didn’t really get a chance with all that kissing and stuff.’ He grinned. ‘It sounds good, though, doesn’t it, you being my fiancée?’

‘You’re very sure of yourself,’ Hermione retorted, although inside the fizzing feeling had grown. Being Severus’ fiancée sounded wonderful.

‘Oh, I’m fairly confident you’ll say yes,’ he told her.

‘Really? What makes you think that? You hardly know me.’

Severus wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed the top of her head.

‘I know you can’t resist me.’ Hermione went to respond, but before she could say anything he added, ‘Just as I can’t resist you, my love.’

Hermione stared at him, slightly mollified. Then she grinned.

‘Hmmm. The thing is, I’m not sure marriage is for me. I was thinking of taking Lucius up on his off—’

Severus kissed her before she finished speaking.

‘No wife of mine will be going anywhere near Lucius Malfoy’s roses,’ he whispered seductively once they came up for air. ‘Unless I’m there as well.’

‘I haven’t agreed to marry you yet,’ Hermione pointed out.

‘You know, you’re quite right,’ Severus replied.

He looked at her avidly for a moment, his hand gently brushing her cheek. Then he released her and dropped to his knees, taking hold of Hermione’s hand.

‘I haven’t got a ring at the moment, as this was obviously an off-the-cuff decision, but will you marry me, Hermione? I honestly believe we could have a wonderful future together, if you’ll have me.’

Hermione could feel her heart beating fit to burst, and that feeling of joy she had lost earlier swelled to fill her entire body. There were tears in her eyes, too, and for a moment she wasn’t sure she could speak.

Severus looked at her, his smile faltering a little as she didn’t reply, but then Hermione nodded.

‘Oh yes, Severus. Yes . . . a million times yes!’

The words came tumbling out in a rush as she bent down to join him, wanting to kiss him again. He stood up and pulled her into a kiss that seemed to go on and on forever.

‘I know you two can’t keep your hands off each other, but the food is getting cold and Molly’s waiting to congratulate you both,’ Arthur said mildly. ‘Would you mind joining us in the kitchen?’

Holding hands, and both still grinning like loons, Hermione and Severus followed Arthur out of the lounge to go and celebrate their engagement with their friends.       


End file.
